Camping before the schoolgates

Have you ever heard of this phenomenon? Here in Flanders, parents camp before the schoolgate in order to enlist their kids for next school year.  In most (good) schools, spaces are limited, and so parents want to make sure their offspring has its spot in the classroom.

Especially in bigger cities, this is a problem. In Antwerp, Ghent, Sint-Niklaas. Sometimes, parents camp for a couple of days before the school, not to miss their entry when the gates open for inscriptions. There are afraid to get to the bathroom, lest they should lose their spot!

How crazy is this? When I was a kid, this was not a problem. We could go to any school we liked.

Do you have the same problem where you live???