New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Ho-jan (劉和然) in an interview said that he hoped the next mayor of New Taipei City could reinvigorate the city by establishing a municipal university — a proposal that overlooks the challenges of an aging population and the declining number of educators and teaching professionals.
First, amid a declining birthrate, Taiwan is this year set to become a “super-aged society,” in which one in five people would be older than 65. As such, universities are facing school mergers, downsizing or closures. How, then, could Liu believe that a municipal university is what New Taipei City residents need?
Liu would do well to take a look at the case of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology’s Hwa Hsia Campus in Jhonghe District (中和), which amid plummeting enrollment applied to close in recent years and is set to shut down permanently within two years.
In Tamsui District (淡水), Aletheia University — one of Taiwan’s oldest institutions, originally founded as Oxford College — has struggled with student enrollment, with registration rates failing to exceed 60 percent over the past three years. This academic year, it recorded the nation’s lowest enrollment rate, with only 30 percent of accepted students registering for classes.
Despite the ongoing crisis facing higher education institutions in New Taipei City, Liu still seems eager to establish another university — even as student enrollment continues to decline.
Moreover, running an academic institution requires deep pockets, and using taxpayer money for such a venture would only put further strain on resources. That could intensify competition and potentially squeeze small and medium-sized institutions out of existence.
This is particularly worrying given that several smaller schools in New Taipei City’s remote areas are in greater need of financial support from the city’s education department, while several infrastructure projects have been initiated for political gain or to curry public favor.
Education should not become another reckless form of pork-barrel spending or a cash grab that undermines young people’s right to quality education.
Lai Yen-cheng is a graduate student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
Translated by Tim Smith
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