Prince and Paris go to school

Two of Michael Jackson's children have begun attending school for the first time after years of getting lessons at home from private tutors, celebrity website TMZ.com said on Friday.

Prince Michael, 13, and Paris Jackson, 12, had their first day on Wednesday at an exclusive private school in Los Angeles whose former students include the likes of Paris Hilton, former Friends actor Matthew Perry and singer Natalie Cole, TMZ reported, citing unidentified sources.

Jackson's youngest son, the eight-year-old known as Blanket, will continue to be home-schooled for the time-being.

The singer's mother, Katherine, who has custody of her three grandchildren, said in a June interview that she planned to send the once-sheltered children to school this autumn. The impetus is said to have come from Prince, who wanted a more social experience growing up.

Fees for the The Buckley School in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles range from $25,000 (Dh91,789) to $29,000 a year, according to the school's website.