"Chinese universities are undergoing a serious survival crisis," said Chen Zhiwen, editor in chief of China Education online.
HOMOGENOUS EDUCATION LOSING ATTRACTION
Getting into college does not guarantee a good job upon graduation. This year, nearly 7.5 million students who succeeded at the Gaokao four years ago are still looking for jobs in the toughest job market ever.
Critics say a large number of Chinese universities have been racing to expand their scale by establishing as many majors as they can. Unfortunately, homogenous education intensifies the difficulties in job hunting among college graduates.
"The crisis of recruitment, seemingly an employment problem, is indeed a crisis of declining education quality," Chen warned.
According to the Ministry of Education, Chinese universities added 1,681 majors in 2014, most of which overlapped other majors.
Among them, Internet of Things Engineering was the most popular, with 54 universities or colleges adding the specialty which has already opened in 250 schools.
But even with an excess of trendy new majors, graduates in traditional areas are experiencing difficulties in employment.
Figures from the ministry show college students majoring in English or computer science and technology, each with 100,000 graduates in 2013, found more difficulties in the job market.
MORE PURSUING OVERSEAS STUDY
The emphasis on entrance exams and the lower chances of admission to a top college in China have led more and more parents, especially from elite families, to look for alternatives.
There has been a growing trend of Chinese students applying to universities outside the country.
According to the ministry, nearly one million students who were eligible to take the Gaokao in 2010 decided against it. Of those students, about one-fifth decided to study abroad instead.
Figures from the U.S. backed the phenomenon. The number of high school students in China pursuing higher education in the U.S. hit 110,550 during the period of 2013-2014, a nearly 50 percent increase than that of 2010-2011, said the report by China Education online, citing the Open Doors Report.
