/ 24 March 2008

Faking divorce for a good school

Some parents will do almost anything to get their children into good schools, but Spanish couples are setting new standards of commitment. In Spain, entry into secondary school is based on a points system. Judges in Seville believe that some parents are divorcing just to earn the crucial points needed to get their offspring into the top schools.

Some parents will do almost anything to get their children into good schools, but Spanish couples are setting new standards of commitment.

In Spain, entry into secondary school is based on a points system. Judges in Seville believe that some parents are divorcing just to earn the crucial points needed to get their offspring into the top schools.

Since last year, children of divorced or separated couples get two extra points when education authorities decide which school the offspring will go to.

The family courts in the Andalucian capital saw a dramatic rise in the divorce rate just when school places were being decided.

The number of divorces or official separations rose from 259 in January 2007 to 387 in March 2007.

Some judges found that a few weeks after couples asked for official separations, they ended up in front of the same court to request reconciliation — just after they completed their school applications. — Â