Dropouts in the last academic year constituted a record-high 13.38 percent of all university students in Taiwan, the Ministry of Education said.
Of the nation’s 1.24 million university students in the last academic year, 166,562 decided to stop pursuing a university degree temporarily or permanently, ministry data showed.
While Taiwan has seen a steady number of university dropouts over the past several years, the annual dropout rate has been increasing due to a declining number of total students caused by the nation’s falling birthrate, Department of Higher Education Director-General Chu Chun-chang (朱俊彰) said on Monday.
The rates differ between universities, but generally private universities have higher dropout rates than public schools, while night schools have higher rates than day schools, Chu said.
Of the 166,562 dropouts in the last academic year, about 77,000 left temporarily, while those who left permanently cited reasons including job needs (about 19,000), a lack of interest in their major (about 11,000), poor grades (about 5,500) and financial difficulties (about 3,700), he said.
Sickness, compulsory military service, childcare and pregnancy were other reasons, he added.
The ministry is to launch measures allowing students to take more interdepartmental courses to cater to different learning needs, as well as provide scholarships for those with financial difficulties, Chu said.
The Joint Board of College Recruitment Commission said that a new curriculum in the 12-year national education program and a revamped university admissions system have helped match students with their fields of interest.
National Chung Hsing University professor Wu Tung-hsing (武東星) called on universities to draft more flexible course regulations for first-year students.
Universities allowing students to dabble in different academic fields without requiring them to extend their education by an additional year or two could benefit those who find themselves uninterested in their major, Wu said.
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