Despite opposition from local residents, two children of Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara will be allowed to attend a local elementary school in Otawara, Tochigi Prefecture, from next week, local education officials said Wednesday.
The Otawara Municipal Board of Education said it has mailed a letter informing Aum that Asahara's 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son can attend Sakuyama Elementary School.
But the children are only expected to attend the school for the first term, until July, under a compromise agreement reached earlier this month between the cult and the city government. The agreement states that eight cult members, including the two children, will leave the city by July 20.
Aum pledged that the eight would leave the area and not relocate to a nearby community. The cult asked the municipality to allow the two children to go to school until they leave.