Fall in student numbers hits universities
Source: Xinhua |
June 7, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IT might have been hard for Chinese universities, after a decade of soaring enrollment and millions of candidates fighting for places via make-or-break exams, to foresee a day when they might have to fight to survive.
That day, however, may have arrived.
About 9.33 million students have registered to take the annual national college entrance exams, or gaokao, which start today. That's 240,000 fewer than last year's figure and represents the third straight year of decline.
Ma Yan, a senior consultant for MyCos, a Beijing-based higher education consulting firm, said: "The decline is mainly due to the shrinking number of high school students, which is a result of decreased birth rates caused by China's one-child policy.
Ma said the downward trend in enrollment may last until 2018.
Chinese students usually take entrance exams at the age of 18 after 12 years of primary and middle school education.
National census figures show that the number of births in 2000 was 13.79 million, about 10 million less than the 23.54 million births recorded in 1990. Growing interest in studying abroad has also had an impact on enrollment.
More than 72.3 percent of this year's applicants will be accepted to the college of their choice, an increase of 4 percentage points over last year.
"As the suppliers of higher education, colleges used to play a much more dominant role in selecting their students. Students have more choices now," Ma said.
A report released earlier by China Education Online, an Internet-based educational resource operated by the Ministry of Education, predicted that universities would face financial pressure over the next 10 years as enrollment continues to fall.
However, Zhang Li, director of the ministry's education development and research center, said: "The challenges arising from decreased enrollment may actually have a positive effect. Lower enrollment numbers will force colleges to improve the quality and structure of their programs and encourage higher education reform in general."
That day, however, may have arrived.
About 9.33 million students have registered to take the annual national college entrance exams, or gaokao, which start today. That's 240,000 fewer than last year's figure and represents the third straight year of decline.
Ma Yan, a senior consultant for MyCos, a Beijing-based higher education consulting firm, said: "The decline is mainly due to the shrinking number of high school students, which is a result of decreased birth rates caused by China's one-child policy.
Ma said the downward trend in enrollment may last until 2018.
Chinese students usually take entrance exams at the age of 18 after 12 years of primary and middle school education.
National census figures show that the number of births in 2000 was 13.79 million, about 10 million less than the 23.54 million births recorded in 1990. Growing interest in studying abroad has also had an impact on enrollment.
More than 72.3 percent of this year's applicants will be accepted to the college of their choice, an increase of 4 percentage points over last year.
"As the suppliers of higher education, colleges used to play a much more dominant role in selecting their students. Students have more choices now," Ma said.
A report released earlier by China Education Online, an Internet-based educational resource operated by the Ministry of Education, predicted that universities would face financial pressure over the next 10 years as enrollment continues to fall.
However, Zhang Li, director of the ministry's education development and research center, said: "The challenges arising from decreased enrollment may actually have a positive effect. Lower enrollment numbers will force colleges to improve the quality and structure of their programs and encourage higher education reform in general."
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