Tenri Seminary Corporation is now in the process of reorganizing its high school system. The two existing high schools–Tenri Seminary High School and Tenri Oyasato High School–are going to be consolidated into a new high school to be called Tenri Kyoko Gakuen High School. The announcement was made on June 27 at the monthly meeting of the Kanamekai. The new high school, which is due to open next April, aims at providing students with a religious education in addition to a regular high school education so that they may become successors of the path and engage in missionary work in the future.
On September 25, information for applicants was made available to the public. According to the information, applicants must be either “students residing in Japan who are expected to graduate from a junior high school in March 2005” or “students from abroad who are recommended by the head of the Overseas Department.” In either case, applicants must be children of Yoboku and be approved by the head minister of the directly supervised church to which they belong. The application must be submitted between January 14 and 21, 2005.
The new school specifically requires its applicants to be children of Yoboku, whereas the two existing high schools only required them to be “children of Tenrikyo followers.” Moreover, in addition to the regular entrance examination on academic subjects, the applicants will be tested to verify whether they can perform the hand movements for the seated service and the Yorozuyo. Thus, the new high school has clarified for whom it is intended.