摘要：Taiwan is currently facing the serious challenge of decreasing enrollment in higher education institutes （HEIs） due to the oversupply of these institutions and decreasing birthrates. This has necessitated that policymakers implement new policies to meet the demands of the market. This paper uses punctuated equilibrium theory （PET） to explain the circumstances that led to the overexpansion of Taiwan＇s higher education institutions over the past decades. This article also analyzes the social contexts and ramifications of social conflict regarding public expectations and policy changes in the ideology of the educational reform movement.