The number of vocational high-school students in the nation last year plunged by more than 100,000 compared with 2009, and is forecast to be exceeded by that of high-school students for the first time this summer semester, the Union of Private School Educators said on Sunday.
Over the period, the number of high-school and vocational high-school students combined has decreased from about 800,000 to 660,000, with the former dropping from 360,000 to 325,000, and the latter dropping from 440,000 to 335,000, Ministry of Education data showed.
The drop in vocational high-school student numbers accounted for 75.3 percent of the total decrease in the two groups, the data showed.
Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
Tuition fees for private universities are twice that of public universities, which receive more resources from the government, union president Yu Jung-hui (尤榮輝) said, adding that the two cannot compete on the same ground.
As a result, most parents avoid sending their children to vocational high schools, creating an atmosphere of “public over private” in society, he said.
Furthermore, the quality of faculty and occupational training in some occupation-oriented universities, mostly attended by students graduating from vocational high schools, are not as industry-related as at regular universities, Yu said.
Scandals regarding irregular student admissions and executive administration at some private universities also give parents a reason to avoid them, Yu said.
The government could introduce an apprentice system, such as Germany’s, which offers incentives for corporations to teach students first-hand knowledge and hire them after graduation, Yu added.
The ministry said it has adopted policies that help private occupation-oriented universities attract more students, such as allowing students to complete their studies in a flexible time frame and launching projects allowing students to work and study simultaneously.
Its industry-academia cooperation programs and projects that help students pursue further education after having worked in industry for a few years are also examples, the ministry said.
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