News Background:
Recently, it has been reported that on some online platforms, the length of volunteer service is clearly marked as a commodity "sale", and some have advertised "298 yuan for a project, which can accumulate 8 hours of volunteer service", and some have posted screenshots of the cumulative time of successful operation to advertise their authenticity and credibility.
The "good scriptures" of volunteer service have been read crookedly.
The reason why this kind of business opportunity has emerged is that some people are targeting the "rigid needs" of primary and secondary school students. In June 2020, the Ministry of Education issued the "General High School Curriculum Plan and Chinese and Other Subject Curriculum Standards (2017 Edition, Revised in 2020)", proposing that volunteer service should be carried out outside of class time, with no less than 40 hours in three years. As a result, 40 hours of volunteering has become a "hard requirement" for high school students. In some places, the length of volunteer service is also closely related to the evaluation of primary and secondary school students, joining the group and joining the party, and other matters.
Some parents do not want their children to really participate in volunteer service, but intend to complete the comprehensive evaluation of the school by purchasing volunteer service hours, and some illegal institutions and businesses have also "smelled" this business opportunity, so the two sides hit it off. The "good scriptures" of volunteering have apparently been misread by some.
Squeeze a squeeze of water for "volunteer hours".
Volunteering, integrity first. Buying and selling volunteer hours is itself an act that undermines integrity, which not only runs counter to the spirit of volunteerism, but also undermines the environment and order of volunteering as a whole. Guiding students to participate in volunteer service is intended to enhance students' sense of responsibility to the society and others, and learn to care for others and society. Service hours may be "bought", but responsibility, compassion, etc. cannot be clearly priced.
At the same time, it should also be noted that not all "shortcuts" originate from malice, and there are different degrees of apportionment, blame-shifting, and formality in the implementation of the assessment index of volunteer hours in the education system. Some secondary school students "won't find" or "can't find" opportunities to participate, or lack the relevant skills and conditions to participate. Some colleges and universities have the phenomenon of "using volunteer hours to tie students' work to increase the participation rate", which is also misplacing this good resource. In order to squeeze out the water for the "volunteer hours", we must not only rely on the appeal of the association and the consciousness of parents and students, but also strictly control the qualification certification and time entry.
Prevent volunteerism from becoming a mere formality.
In any case, volunteer hours cannot be allowed to be trafficked. Relevant online platforms should strengthen supervision of published content, and do not leave room for similar illegal transactions; Volunteer service organizations should strengthen reviews of relevant service processes to prevent volunteer service from becoming a mere formality; Parents should also correct their attitudes and cognitions, and avoid giving their children wrong guidance and demonstrations. There are no shortcuts to volunteering.
In addition, it is also necessary for relevant departments and major universities, primary and secondary schools to conduct full research, widely listen to the opinions of students and parents, further optimize the requirements of volunteer service, and establish a more diverse and flexible volunteer service evaluation system.
The above comprehensive workers**, South**, Red Net, Yangcheng Evening News).
V perspective: superboy007: Put an end to the "commercialization" of volunteer service and start from your side.
Ao: As for the phenomenon of "spending money to buy volunteer hours", we should seriously think about the reasons and effects behind it, and take measures. Volunteering should be a voluntary, unpaid, and dedicated act, not for the purpose of getting paid or satisfying a benefit.
First of all: Some of the volunteer activities at the university are just a formality.
Philosophical thinking: Since it is voluntary, why is it mandatory? The actual situation should be taken into account when formulating the programme.
Editor's Note from China Economic Net:
"Volunteering" is also "voluntary service", which should be noble and selfless, not "coping with errands", and even reduced to the "way of making money" for some lawless people. To avoid the "copper smell" of volunteer service, it is necessary for relevant departments, volunteer service organizations, schools and other parties to work together to strictly review and manage and correct unhealthy trends. At the same time, in view of the situation of some students and parents who are "involuntary" and "forced to go through the form", it is also necessary to further investigate and study, optimize the evaluation criteria of volunteer service, and return volunteer service to its purity.
*: China Economic Net.