China Becoming Top Choice for Star Students|監院調查:高中生西進求學 恐倍數成長

More and more high school students are going west to continue their education. A Control Yuan report shows the number of high school graduates who intend to enroll in Chinese and Hong Kong universities this year is expected to rise significantly. While compiling the report, the Control Yuan was accused by several of the schools of spreading "green terror."


Xiamen University recently held admissions interviews, and there were 128 students from Taiwan competing for the 20 available spots.

I applied to Zhejiang University, but the required score this year was very high. The competition is very fierce here and they are very advanced. They also have a different field of view. You have to admit that this is a powerful country.

More and more students from Taiwan are moving to China to further their studies. A recent Control Yuan survey found that there were 6,703 Taiwan students enrolled in Chinese universities in 2014. By 2017, that number had risen to 8,530, an increase of 22 percent. The Control Yuan also called the so-called star high schools, and found out the number of Taichung First Senior High School students who had asked the principal to write them letters of recommendation as part of their applications to Chinese universities last year was only six. This year, there are 30. Meanwhile, around 80 Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School students applied to Chinese universities this year. As the survey took place at a sensitive time, some schools expressed concerns about "green terror." Control Yuan Member Tsai Pei-tsun, who oversaw the survey, responded in this way.

There might have been a misunderstanding. We just wanted to confirm the number of applicants and see if our information was correct.

The Control Yuan says the survey results are a warning sign to the Ministry of Education. Education Minister Wu Maw-kuen raised related issues while giving a report on ministry affairs, and spoke about his own experience.

I grew up in a poor village in Hualien. Back then, anyone who got good grades and whose family had a little money wanted to go to Taipei to study.

Despite this seemingly inappropriate analogy, Wu said he wants students to remain in Taiwan, and this will require upgrading the competitiveness of Taiwan's higher education and coordinating with industries over future labor requirements.