M. Right to education (a) Indigenous peoples 89. The national report states that there was a slight increase in the enrollment rate of indigenous students in the 2020 academic year compared with the 2019 academic year, with the greatest increase being in master’s degree programs.113 The NHRC notes, however, that according to official statistics, the percentage of indigenous peoples receiving a higher ( junior college or above) education is significantly lower than that of non-indigenous groups. In the 2020 academic year, the indigenous population accounted for 2.44% of the national population. In the same academic year, indigenous students accounted for 2.41% of all college and university students in Taiwan, with indigenous master’s students representing only 1.30% of all master’s students and indigenous doctoral students comprising only 0.63% of all Ph.D. students. Furthermore, the dropout and suspension rate for indigenous students in college or above is significantly higher than that of non-indigenous students. There is an obvious disparity between the percentage of indigenous peoples receiving a higher education and that of non-indigenous peoples. The NHRC is also concerned about the dropout rate of indigenous students in elementary and junior high schools. In the 2020 academic year, 16.18% of all students who dropped out of school were indigenous students. In addition, the ratio of indigenous students in elementary and junior high school who are from low- income families, single-parent households, or intergenerational parenting households or under kinship care, is higher than that of any other group of students. 114 The NHRC believes that according to statistics, indigenous students are being left behind in terms of educational rights. Dropout rates §187 of the national report 113 114 64 The Council of Indigenous Peoples’ report on the Indigenous Education Survey and Statistics for the 2020 Academic Year