News media have reported that this year’s military academy recruitment failed to meet expectations.
This shortfall was clearly not part of the Ministry of National Defense’s plans, as the number of cadets admitted each year is calibrated to match the military’s projected personnel needs four years after enrollment — essentially, one cadet is enrolled per projected open position.
Therefore, all admitted cadets are expected to fill essential roles upon graduation, regardless of gender.
However, a significant problem emerges if recruitment falls more than 25 percent below the planned target.
Such a shortfall can seriously affect the budget and quality of education over the following four years, as well as disrupt future personnel assignments.
In addition, departments initially slated to admit a specific number of students might need to merge with other departments due to low enrollment, further diminishing the appeal of joining the academy.
The ministry should act swiftly to address the enrollment shortfall.
Before enlistment training begins next month, it should conduct a comprehensive survey of all active-duty non-commissioned officers and soldiers with a high school or vocational school education to identify potential candidates for officer training.
Those who express interest in attending a military academy could be considered for admission based on their performance and recommendations from commanding officers.
This approach would help academies fill the current enrollment gap, ensuring that future officer allocations at the grassroots level remain unaffected four years from now.
Beginning next year, in addition to the current system of admitting military academy students based on standardized test scores, a separate and independent recruitment process should be introduced.
It should be similar to the one I experienced more than 30 years ago.
Back then, I performed poorly on the college entrance exam, but I was fortunate enough to be given a second chance through the military academy joint entrance exam. This ultimately led to my admission into a military academy and my career as a professional soldier.
In today’s context of declining birthrates and a shrinking student population, the ministry can no longer rely on just a single channel for student recruitment.
The ministry should adopt a more diversified approach to ensure that more young people have the opportunity to enter military academies.
This way the ministry could prevent the armed forces from missing out on more valuable young talent.
Chen Hung-hui is a military instructor and university life resources officer.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
When former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first took office in 2016, she set ambitious goals for remaking the energy mix in Taiwan. At the core of this effort was a significant expansion of the percentage of renewable energy generated to keep pace with growing domestic and global demands to reduce emissions. This effort met with broad bipartisan support as all three major parties placed expanding renewable energy at the center of their energy platforms. However, over the past several years partisanship has become a major headwind in realizing a set of energy goals that all three parties profess to want. Tsai
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security. Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military. As one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors, a boost in Japan’s defense capabilities would serve as a strong deterrent to China in acting unilaterally in the
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference on Jan. 9, in response to China’s latest round of live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait: “India has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region, in view of our trade, economic, people-to-people and maritime interests. We urge all parties to exercise restraint, avoid unilateral actions and resolve issues peacefully without threat or use of force.” The statement set a firm tone at the beginning of the year for India-Taiwan relations, and reflects New Delhi’s recognition of shared interests and the strategic importance of regional stability. While India
RSS