Hualien County Faces School Closures Amidst Declining Birth Rates: 12 Primary Schools With Only One New Student

Hualien County is confronting a stark reality of declining birth rates, leading to a significant number of primary schools with critically low enrollment numbers as the new academic year approaches.

Statistics from the Hualien County Government's Education Department reveal that approximately one-third of the county's primary schools will begin the 115th academic year with fewer than five new students. This demographic shift has resulted in a reduction of nine classes across the county. The situation is particularly acute in certain areas, with twelve specific primary schools set to welcome only a single new student each.

These schools include Linrong Primary School in Fonglin Township, Daxing Primary School in Guangfu Township, Qimei Primary School in Ruixiang Township, and Gangkou and Xinshe Primary Schools in Fengbin Township. Additionally, Yuansheng Primary School in Yuli Township, and Wanning, Yongfeng, Xuetian, and Wujiang Primary Schools in Fuli Township, along with Gufeng and Zhuofeng Primary Schools in Zhuoxi Township, are all facing the challenge of single-digit enrollments.

While no school will have zero new students this year, the low numbers necessitate adjustments. The county's education department reported that as of August 27, nearly 50 teaching positions remained unfilled, primarily for substitute teachers. To manage the immediate shortfall, the county plans to implement overtime pay for existing teachers. Further recruitment efforts will be considered based on the evolving situation.

The trend of declining student numbers is evident when comparing consecutive school years. The cohort entering junior high school this year is 559 students fewer than those who entered primary school this year. Similarly, this year's first-graders are nearly 300 students fewer than those entering second grade. The county has implemented measures to control the number of full-time teaching positions to avoid teacher redundancies due to class reductions. Most primary schools in the county already operate with only one class per grade, limiting further consolidation unless student numbers become unviable.