The bells of the school year have been ringing on campus for some time, but the discussion about school fees has been drizzling. Whenever parents open the detailed list of fees, there will always be a trace of confusion in their hearts: why are there so many fees when they say that they are compulsory education? When asked, the answer is always so simple and vague – "voluntary". 
Is it really a voluntary choice to wear a uniform uniform? Are the supplementary textbooks also selected and purchased voluntarily by parents? There are also various insurances, how many parents make the choice according to their own wishes? Although the word "voluntary" payment always appears in the fee notice, parents know in their hearts that these so-called "voluntary" are not so free. If you choose not to participate, you may cause unnecessary trouble. At that time, teachers may use various ways to do ideological work, rather than that, it is better to simply pay the money neatly. Fortunately, these costs are not too high, and parents can afford them. But such a "voluntary" really makes people feel a little helpless and incomprehensible. A few days ago, an education incident occurred in Lianyuan, Hunan Province, which attracted much attention. According to the parents, the school issued a notice asking parents to "voluntarily" purchase teaching materials at designated bookstores or **. The news quickly caused an uproar among the parent community.
Some parents have reservations about this request. They believe that most of the teaching materials purchased for children last year did not come in handy, and since the teacher has made it clear that it is "voluntary", the purchase of teaching materials is not necessary. Therefore, they decided not to buy these teaching materials for their children anymore to save money. However, things didn't turn out the way these parents expected. A few days after the start of school, the teacher called the parents who had not purchased the teaching materials one by one. In **, the teacher not only asked the parents why they did not buy it, but also elaborated on the necessity of purchasing teaching materials. Between the words, the teacher seemed to imply that this was a school-level requirement, conveyed layer by layer. 
This has left many parents in deep confusion. Didn't you say it was "voluntary"? Why does it now feel like it's a coercive act? The teacher called in person, what else can the parents do? Do you try to debate with your teacher what the word "voluntary" really means, or do you say that your child doesn't really need the material? However, neither option seems to be very wise. In the end, the vast majority of parents had to buy this set of teaching materials in accordance with the school's "suggestions" for their children's education. This matter has caused heated discussions on the Internet and has attracted widespread attention and discussion. In the face of the pressure, the local education department had to respond. They claim that the purchase of supplementary materials is "voluntary" and that parents have every right to choose whether or not to buy them. Regarding the "forced purchase" reported on the Internet, they said that they would immediately investigate and verify. 
However, such a response did not satisfy the parents. As can be seen from the comments in the comment area, this situation is by no means unique, and many parents have had similar experiences. They feel helpless and confused, and hope that the education department can really pay attention to this issue and take effective measures to protect the rights and interests of parents, so that "voluntary" can truly become voluntary, rather than a disguised coercion. Parents who resonated left messages in the comment area, lamenting the helplessness of buying teaching materials for their children at the beginning of each semester. Some parents bluntly said: "I buy all kinds of books at the beginning of each semester, and I must buy them at a designated bookstore, 50 yuan a copy, which is really unreasonable." Another parent shared their own experience: "What is it to voluntarily buy teaching materials, I was forced to voluntarily order school milk." ”
Regarding the problem of school uniforms, some parents expressed their dissatisfaction: "The style of school uniforms is so ugly, ** and expensive, it is said that it is a voluntary purchase, but in the end, not everyone has to pay." If you don't order, the teacher will beat ** one by one to urge. This phenomenon of "voluntary" purchases has made many parents feel helpless and angry. 
Some parents even pointed out bluntly: "Can it not be voluntary? The teacher assigns the homework on it, and it has to be explained, what to do if you don't want to, you can't let the child copy it. This begs the question, when will the burden of extracurricular practice be reduced? Chinese, mathematics, English and other subjects are indispensable textbooks, and these exercises are not available anywhere else except in designated bookstores. As soon as school starts, parents have to buy a lot of teaching aids for their children, which undoubtedly increases the financial burden on families. Schools and teachers are keen to let parents "voluntarily" buy teaching materials, and everyone knows the tricks. However, people are under the eaves and have to bow their heads, and many parents can only choose to bear it silently. They felt that it was not worth it to make a fuss for the 100 yuan, so they could only reluctantly accept this phenomenon of "voluntary" purchase. In today's society, with the increasingly close relationship between home and school, parents' participation in school education activities is gradually increasing. However, when the number of "voluntary" participation becomes more frequent, parents will inevitably have a crisis of trust in the school and teachers, which will breed resentment. This sentiment arises in large part because parents believe that the school and teachers may be making personal gains, leading them to question the school's educational practices.
Especially in the context of the current "double reduction" policy, schools should create a relaxed and pleasant learning environment for students, rather than increasing the burden on students through various teaching materials. This kind of practice of allowing students to "voluntarily" purchase teaching and auxiliary materials is obviously contrary to the original intention of the "double reduction" policy, which is not only not conducive to the healthy growth of students, but also easy to arouse widespread doubts in society. In the field of education, the phenomenon of "three violations" has been repeatedly prohibited, among which the illegal purchase of teaching and auxiliary materials is particularly high. This requires the education authorities to strengthen supervision and crack down on those who abuse power for personal gain under the guise of "voluntary" purchases. Only in this way can we return a pure land of education, so that every student can receive education in a fair and just environment and grow up healthily.