A poll released yesterday said that 40.4 percent of Taiwanese students are doubtful about the value of their higher education, and that 39.5 percent are pessimistic about their economic future after graduation.
The survey was conducted by the Professor Huang Kun-huei Education Foundation and announced at a news conference in Taipei.
The poll showed that 74.1 percent of the students interviewed are studying in an academic department that matches their interests, and 75.7 percent believed their department to be a good fit for their abilities.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
As for their plans after graduation, 46.2 percent of the students said that they want to enter the workforce immediately, 18.3 percent said they would like to obtain an advanced degree in Taiwan and 13.3 percent wanted to pursue post-graduate education in other countries.
Asked about what they would look for in a job offer, 71.7 percent said they would prioritize fair wages and treatment, 46.4 percent wanted job security, 34.5 percent wanted a job that matches their education and 26.7 percent said they would look for a job that offers career advancement.
Regarding the respondents’ top life priorities, 72 percent said they wanted a fulfilling job, 67.2 percent wanted spiritual fulfillment and 62.8 percent wanted a happy family life, it said.
In addition, 36.9 percent said they wanted to be wealthy after graduation, 29.5 percent valued making a contribution to society and 9.7 percent said they desired power.
Foundation president Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said that Taiwan formed its higher education model to foster upward social mobility and improve the livelihood of families, but universities are struggling to carry out those aims or develop competitiveness.
The survey showed that education officials should be concerned that students perceive there to be a declining job market for degree holders, he added.
That one-quarter of students in tertiary education are not studying in a field that they are interested in suggested flaws in the multiple entrance program, guidance counseling and inter-departmental transfer procedures, foundation poll committee convenor Kuo Sheng-yu (郭生玉) said.
Deputy Minister of Examinations Lee Lung-sheng (李隆盛) said that multiple strategies are being implemented to improve the quality of higher education in Taiwan.
The ministry is considering transparency rules for higher education that would compel institutions to publicize the employment rate of graduates, their success rate in passing certification exams and their average incomes, Lee said.
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