TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Under the declining birth rate, Taiwan's junior high and elementary schools have insufficient enrollment and reduced classes each year.
However, the elite school districts in Taiwan have not been affected, as many parents are spending lots of money to purchase houses in advance to provide a good education for their children.
Kuan Ming-i, a parent with three children attending Taipei Heping Elementary School, purchased a house near the prestigious school six years ago to secure spots for her kids.
The school reserves 60% of its slots for students whose registered domicile is within the school district. The principal Huang Chih-shun said that students living in other areas could only enter the school through a drawing system, which the rate of getting in is about 15%.
According to statistics from Taipei City's Department of Education, 25 elementary schools have a student population exceeding the schools' capacity in the respective areas.
Data from the Ministry indicates that between 2018 and 2022, the population of children aged 0 to 14 dropped by 229,000.
Nevertheless, the number of households headed by individuals under 15 increased to 7570. While the rise in numbers is not solely due to registering children as heads of households for school enrollment, it remains a significant factor.
Real estate agent Chang Hisn-yin pointed out that she is noticing parents with younger children are making plans ahead of time, searching for properties in the school district they want their kids to study in.
As Warden Chiu I-cheng of the Daan District Wolong Ward said, parents who purchased homes because of a school district might register their child as the head of the household if they already own another real estate, thus creating a young leader of the family.