By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

It's easy to spot the neatly dressed kindergarteners hopping out of BMWs and Maseratis in front of the southern Seoul campus of British International Pre School (BIPS), a prestigious English-speaking kindergarten rumored to be most sought-after by the rich moms in town.

The school's annual tuition hovers above 18 million won ($14,400) ― more than four times the tuition for public universities ― but money doesn't seem to be the problem. It's the competition rate.

One mother who failed to get her six-year-old son into the program says she felt defeated when she had to enroll her child in a regular neighborhood kindergarten, which typically charges 200,000 won to 400,000 won per month.

"I wanted my son to go to a top school from the very beginning of his education," said the 34-year-old mom, who wanted to named only as Yang.

She admitted that the tuition is high, but stressed that education isn't the only thing the amount covers.

"There are all sorts of connections that children and their parents can make by selecting a prestigious school chosen by the society's leaders," said Yoon, a homemaker who is married to an investment banker.

Industry experts say that children and grandchildren of lawmakers, doctors, judges, prosecutors and celebrities make up a significant portion of the student body.

BIPS, Bambini and some 20 other English-speaking "premium" kindergartens claim to provide only the best and charge anywhere from 1.5 million to 2 million won per month.

Officials from the schools, who refused to be identified, commonly said what they offer is fundamentally different compared to ordinary kindergartens.

"All classes are taught by well-qualified foreign teachers and most of the supplies we use are imported brands," said one official. "We don't just teach, we offer a new culture."

But critics pick apart their sky-high tuition with concerns that they can cause other schools to raise their fees as well.

They say parents fear having a second child because the financial burden from supporting their children's education starts far too early.

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr