heFrom 2025 on, Shih Hsin University has made the big choice to no longer accept new students into its Chinese literature school. There has been a lot of talk about how important it is for Taiwanese schools to teach arts like Chinese literature. In this world that changes so quickly, people are talking about whether these subjects are still important and how classes with fewer kids might be affected.
Shih Hsin University Choice and the Uproar of Chinese Literature
Shih Hsin University spoke out in favor of ending the Chinese literature school on October 30. They plan to ask the Education Ministry for permission. I was told it’s because not many kids are joining that group.
But the group of students from that area didn’t agree with the school. They said the school didn’t show all the facts. In 2022–2023, only 54% of kids went to college. But the school didn’t say that in 2023–2044, that number rose to 87%. The group of students thinks that subject like Chinese literature shouldn’t be stopped because of this problem, even if not many students sign up.
The group of students said it’s very important to study arts, such as Chinese literature. It makes them think about things more deeply and see the big picture. They told the college to think about it again and remember how important it is to get a full education.
What the Ministry of Education Did of Chinese Literature
Pan Wen-chung, who is the Education Minister, didn’t take a side. He said that every year, the Education Ministry looks at requests from universities like this one. When it comes to making their plans, he said universities should be more open to change. It shouldn’t be the only way universities fix problems for him that schools are shut down or merged.
He also said that Taiwan needs kids who are smart in both science and the arts. He thinks that schools should teach a lot of different things, not just what companies or industries want.
Problems with teaching the humanities
Taiwan has some issues with its humanities schooling. Since there aren’t many kids being born, there aren’t as many college freshmen. Some people also believe that subjects like Chinese literature are not as useful in real life as subjects like law or business. The lack of money makes it hard for humanities schools to stay open.
But some people think the arts will still do well in the future. Professor Hsu Kuo-neng believes that combining old and new ideas can help the arts grow and change. He talked about what his students do at his school, which is to write stories for plays and make documentaries.
Humanities as a Basic Subject
According to Professor Lin Chi-ping, colleges should do more than just teach people how to get jobs. He says that the arts are important for a good education. And then, he believes that the government should give more money to arts and culture projects.
He said it’s not easy to measure everything that the humanities teach like it is with other classes. But he believes that these classes are important for everyone, not just the kids.
In conclusion
Shih Hsin University’s choice to not let new students into its Chinese literature department has sparked a lot of discussion about the role of humanities in modern schools. People are talking about how things are changing and how these classes might be different with fewer people. For Taiwan’s arts to grow, old ideas and new ones need to be mixed together. This shows how important these subjects are for understanding life and having deep thoughts about the world.
