Three more private high schools were put on a watch list by the Ministry of Education after it concluded another round of reviews of private schools on Thursday.
Hung Jen Catholic Girls’ High School, Yu Min Vocational School and Yu-Jen Senior High School were put on the list because either their “financial condition has markedly declined to the extent that they cannot pay their debts, or they have financial problems that seriously affect school operations,” the ministry said.
Schools on the watch list are to be given two years to resolve their situations or be closed, as per ministry regulations.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps
The board of Chiayi City’s Hung Jen Catholic Girls’ High School during the summer decided to merge the school with Li Jen High School, but the ministry would assume management if the school’s financial condition does not improve, Union of Private School Educators president Yu Jung-hui (尤榮輝) said.
Taitung County’s Yu-Jen Senior High School is facing a similar problem.
The school is one of only a few elite private high schools in Taitung County, which has cultivated many medical students, Yu said, adding that its closure would be a huge loss for the county.
The third school, Yu Min Vocational School, is in Miaoli County.
The three schools have been affected by the nation’s declining birthrate, which is presenting a formidable challenge for private high schools in rural areas, Yu said.
He urged the ministry to draft policies to address this problem, as many other schools are likely to face similar predicaments within the next five years.
Local governments should also help private schools in their areas avoid depriving rural students of the same opportunities urban students have, Yu said.
The review was the eighth held by the ministry. In the previous seven, it put seven universities and four high schools on its watch list.
Aside from financial difficulties, schools will also be listed for hiring unqualified teaching staff or fail to pay salaries.
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