Number of College Applications Continues to Slide 112學年度大學甄選入學 各校名額多下修

College student recruitment numbers for 2023 have fallen to an eight-year low. Chinese Culture University, which has the highest number of vacancies, saw 515 fewer applications.

Due to Taiwan's low birth rate, the number of college applicants for the next academic year fell by 2,143 from last year to an eight-year low of 69,000. Chinese Culture University got 515 fewer applicants than last year, leaving it with close to 2,400 vacancies. Ming Chuan, I-Shou and Shih Chien also all received 200-plus fewer applications. The Union of Private School Educators says even established schools are finding it difficult to fill spaces.

You Jung-hui, Chair, Union of Private School Educators: “We estimate one-third of existing private schools will close before 2028. Once the snowball starts rolling, it will be difficult to stop.”

The union also says unfair competition between public and private schools will lead to the extinction of private schools altogether. The National Senior High School Teachers' Union says technical and vocational schools began feeling the crunch much sooner than universities and these schools need financial assistance from the Ministry of Education to transition before they go bankrupt.

Kao Meng-lin, Chair, National Senior High School Teachers' Union: “There are certain "bald-eagle conglomerates" that are not in the red yet because their land and assets still have value. After getting a majority on the board, they find ways to reduce or stop recruiting so they can then put their own plans into place.”

Education groups say the ministry needs to do more and be more proactive.

少子化衝擊，各大學略為調整112學年度甄選入學招生名額。總計個人申請和繁星推薦共6萬9000多個名額，比111學年減少2143個名額，8年來新低。今年分發入學近2400個缺額的文化大學，個人申請大減515個名額；銘傳、義守和實踐，也減少200多個名額。全國私校工會指出，即便是老牌私校，辦學也越見嚴峻。

全國私校工會理事長尤榮輝表示：「我們預估大概在117年度之前，大概至少會有三分之一（私立校院）會退場。所以情況會非常的嚴重，而且又會來得又急又快。」

大環境就是學生越來越少。但私校工會指出，公、私校的不公平競爭，讓辦學不錯的私校可能陷入困境，政府應挹注更多資源與鬆綁。全中教則指出，高中職受少子衝擊更早、更快，體質不錯的高中職，需要教育部在財務未進入虧損前，輔導轉型。

全中教理事長高孟琳指出：「實際上有一些所謂的禿鷹集團，就相中了這種體質還沒有列為虧損的，但是他的校地校產還蠻值錢。取得董事會多數席次之後，他就想辦法讓這個學校減招、停招，他們另有所圖。」

教團表示，退場條例實施，退審會審議，確實加速處理有問題的私校。但除了做預警列專輔，教育部可有更多作為。