It seems sensible to me to just write one card for the whole class - cards could even be made in school. If anybody has a special friend they can always take a card to their home.

Workplaces are increasingly suggesting that instead of giving everyone a Christmas card people donate to a chosen charity. It's time consuming, expensive and hard work sending cards to everybody in the class or everybody at work.

One of the schools I worked in suggested that staff give money to the school charity which was then used for good causes both at home and abroad. A big display was put on the wall in the staffroom and people could use that to wish everybody Happy Christmas. My life at this very busy time of year improved considerably after that.

There isn't anything sinister in any of this; it makes sense to me.