In fact, only one-fourth of the monastery's novices who graduate from junior high school elect to stay at the monastery for the upper school of its academy. The other three-fourths choose to take the joint entrance exam for high schools. Their Buddhist teachers allow them to retain their names as monks to leave the door open to their return, but these defections no doubt influence elder monks 'willingness to accept young novices.
事實上，中台禪寺今年國三的畢業生，只有四分之三繼續留在中台念佛教學院的高級部，其餘四分之一的沙彌則還俗出去考高中，雖然他們請師父為他們保留法名，表示日後還會再回來，但這樣的結果多少影響了老和尚日後收小沙彌的意願。