If the number of elementary-school students in Taiwan drops by about 29,000 each year, the nation would have fewer than 1 million elementary-school students six years from now, the Ministry of Education said in a report.
The number of students at all levels of education are declining, with the number of elementary-school students dropping by about 29,000 per year, the ministry said in its 2024-2039 student number estimation report.
Aside from effects such as the Chinese zodiac on childbirth, the report showed that student numbers at elementary schools, junior-high schools, senior-high schools and universities are dropping.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
There are about 1.235 million elementary-school students, but that figure would decline to 955,000 in the 2029 school year and 779,000 in the 2039 school year, the report said.
There are about 546,000 junior-high students, but due to the increase in births in the Years of the Dragon and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC) in 2011, the number would increase to about 622,000 in the 2026 school year, it said.
However, the number of junior-high students is expected to decline by about 8,900 each year after that, dropping to about 404,000 in the 2029 school year.
There are about 600,000 senior-high students, but the figure is expected to drop to 549,000 in the 2026 school year.
Also affected by the Years of the Dragon and the ROC 100th anniversary year, the number of senior-high students is expected to increase to about 625,000 in the 2029 school year, but would then continue to decline by about 12,000 people per year to 421,000 in the 2039 school year.
The number of university graduates is predicted to drop by 2,600 every year over the next 17 years, falling below 190,000 in the next school year, and to 155,000 in the 2031 school year, affected by the Year of the Tiger.
However, due to the Year of the Dragon, the number is expected to slightly increase to 177,000 in the 2033 school year, but drop to 161,000 in the 2039 school year.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed