“More Universities” Policy Backfires, 20 More to Close Down in Next 8 Years
2020/01/20
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“More Universities” Policy Backfires, 20 More to Close Down in Next 8 Years
Source: UDN
January 19, 2020
People have been talking about the problem of low birthrates in Taiwan for a long time but it was not until 2016 did the problem really impact the university enrollment. Currently, the number of university freshmen is just 30,000 fewer compared with that of four years ago. However, five private colleges closed down right after the problem arose. It is estimated that in the next eight years, the number of university freshmen will decrease by 80,000; 20 to 30 private colleges and universities will put up shutters; more private colleges and universities that may survive will start laying off faculty and staff and implementing pay cuts, which will become an even more serious social problem.
The problem of colleges and universities closing down and implementing pay cuts was not just caused by low birthrates. If people trace back to history, they will see that the problem should be attributed to the policy of widely accrediting universities and colleges. In the early days, Taiwan society was focused on the manufacturing industry. With the upgrading of industry, more highly educated talents were indeed needed. Nonetheless, the existence of too many institutions of higher learning also leads to more university and college graduates being underemployed; in other words, some university and college graduates take jobs requiring only high school education. This is a waste of higher education resources.
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