MANY parents were rushing to buy lease contracts for apartments in residential estates in catchment areas of good schools.
The number of parents seeking purchase information at online forums and estate agencies increased sharply over the past two months with the start of the application period for entering primary schools, yesterday s Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
According to the policy, parents who have lived in Shenzhen for more than one year can apply for a place in a nearby public school with a valid lease contract.
Many parents don t have enough money to buy in areas which can promise good school places because the prices are forbidding and some don t want to rent an apartment and live there because it would be a waste of money. It is much cheaper to just buy a lease contract to apply for school places, said an estate agent in Yitian, Futian District.
Meanwhile, homeowners who don t need a school place can rent their apartments.
February and March were the peak time for selling lease contracts because primary schools normally started taking applications in April. Prices for lease contracts ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan (US$458-764). Buyers also had to cover all expenses for the contracts. Some also had to pay extra to the owners, the agent said.
However, the lease contracts could not guarantee a school place, the agent said. Places at key schools are in great demand, so students particularly those whose parents have lease contracts could be transferred to other schools. It is also risky to buy a lease contract because students could be rejected by schools if the schools learned of any cheating, the agent said.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
