If you happened to pass by Shenzhen Nanshan Bilingual School recently, you’ll have seen more than a hundred parents sitting on stools, laying down, and slouched over in a long line-up in front of the school.  They are waiting (and hoping) to get one of the few spots at the school for their child, according to media reports.  The problem is the enrollment date hasn’t been announced yet, so the parents are waiting there “just in case”.

Nanshan Bilingual School is a state-owned private school. It plans to recruit 100 Grade 1 students, but there are over 150 parents in line. With education being paramount in China, parents are willing to stick it out in line for a shot at getting their child enrolled.

Reporters learned that a few of the parents have begun playing the role of a so-called “parents committee”, which means they write their kids’ names on slips of paper following the order of arrival. All parents can then line up according to the numbers.

The parents are organized, too. If one family member gets tired of waiting, another will stand in for a while. Some are reading books, using the internet, chatting, dealing cards or playing chess to kill time. They might have to wait for another two or three days before the enrollment time is announced.

The school told the media that there is always a conflict between the gradual growth of student numbers and their limited classroom space. They have already expanded from six to 12 classes.

Some parents suggested the school create an online sign-up process instead, but the policy says that online application do not allow quota restrictions. The school master said he hopes the education department can offer more teaching space to parents don’t need to line-up.