Enrollment at nine of the nation’s higher-education institutes this year was less than 60 percent of regular enrollment, which might force closures, the Ministry of Education said on Friday.
The low enrollment rates are likely due to a declining birthrate that is beginning to affect the age group now attending universities, the ministry said.
The nine institutes were: Christ’s College Taipei (46.81 percent enrollment), Fortune Institute of Technology (47.46 percent), Kao Yuan University (47.48 percent), Ming Dao University (51.61 percent), Chungyu University of Film and Arts (51.89 percent), Chung Chou University of Science and Technology (53.42 percent), Hsuan Chuang University (54.58 percent), Huafan University (56.18 percent) and Nan Jeon University of Science and Technology (56.41 percent).
Photo: Fang Chih-hsien, Taipei Times
Three of those — Huafan, Nan Jeon and Fortune — also had an enrollment rate of below 60 percent last year, the ministry said, adding that they have fewer than 3,000 students each.
Department of Higher Education Director-General Chu Hung-chang (朱俊彰) said that in accordance with regulations, the ministry would help the three institutes reform and would set a time limit for them to improve their enrollment situation.
The ministry would take all factors into consideration, such as their financial situations, Chu said, adding that Huafan has had the stable backing of church groups for many years.
Huafan could be a good institute even with low enrollment numbers, he added.
Taiwan Shoufu University had an enrollment rate of below 60 percent last year, but this year its situation improved, he said.
Lan Yang Institute of Technology and the Culinary Institute of Taiwan had low enrollment numbers last year, but have improved, while Kao Mei Junior College of Healthcare and Management, which also had low enrollment last year, has now stopped accepting students, he said, adding that three institutes closed this year.
Meanwhile, the ministry this year began providing data on student retention rates at higher-education institutes.
Institutes with rates of 95 percent or higher this year include National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chiao Tung University, National Taipei University of Education and National Changhua University of Education, the data showed.
The ministry said that it cross-referenced enrollment data from last year for first-year students with the number of second-year students this year to generate retention rates.
Deputy Minister of Education Yao Leeh-ter (姚立德) said that the data provided an important metric for determining an institute’s quality.
Union of Private Educators president Yu Jung-hui (尤榮輝) said that the information allowed prospective students and parents to make more informed decisions about where to apply.
The quality of higher education in Taiwan would benefit from making the retention rates public, Yu said.
National Federation of Teachers’ Unions chief executive Lin Chin-tsai (林金財) said that the information is important to students and their families, and would help them avoid applying to the wrong school.
Additional reporting by Yu Chao-fu
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