願書, kindergarten schools

やってきました幼稚園申し込みシーズン！

10時に息子を保育園へ送り届けると
近所１km圏内にある３つの幼稚園を回って
願書を集めてきた。

これであとは11月1日に旦那と手分けして
願書と選考料（5〜6000円！）を出しに行ったら
遅いところでも11月2週目には合否が出る。

去年までは願書を提出した順で、
徹夜で願書提出する人まで発生した幼稚園も
あったようだが、
今年からはどこの園もまず抽選で振り落とし、
その後面接で振り落とすらしい。

どこの園もプレスクール（2歳児クラス）からの
持ち上がり枠、在園／卒園児兄弟枠が優先されるため
残りの一般枠（おそらく２、３名）の争奪になる。

あと1ヶ月、気分的に落ち着かない。

After dropping off Koki at his day care,
I walked around and picked up application forms for
3 kindergarten schools within 1 kilometer area from
our place.

One school even charged 600 JPY (7 USD) just to pick
up an application form.
All schools charge 5,000 JPY (64 USD!) just to apply.

What has this world come to....
A business indeed.

Here is our schedule for Nov 1 when we submit the
application forms (anyhow all on a same day):

8:00 am - 8:15am  School A, Yuko (submission and lot for an interview)
9:30 - 10:30am  School B, Yuko and Koki (submission and interview)
9:00 - 11:30am  School C, Toru (submission and lot for an interview)
12:00pm  School D, Yuko (submission only)

We are NOT trying to put Koki in an
academic type school, just a regular level private school
because public schools only start from age of 4.
(Initially we were planning to put Koki in a public school)
And yet, here is this situation.

4 schools just because each school only admits 2-3 kids per
year after taking out kids coming up from a pre school class
plus brothers/sisters of students who are already going to
the school or who have attended school in the past.

Crazy world indeed.

Well, just one more month and we'll know what to expect.

Wish us luck!