Both elementary and lower secondary school, group students according to ability. Elementary students must do projects or homework during their breaks.
To enter high school, students at the age of fourteen years old must take an examination. Secondary school students enroll in "cram schools" known as juku. (Elementary students enroll in these schools when they fall behind in learning.) They are private schools that provide tutoring for students that choose to go to high school, prepare for the high school examinations or for students that are falling behind in school. High school is non-compulsory. High school has three types of enrollment: full time, part time, and correspondence courses. Full time students are in school for three years, while part time or correspondence students are in for four or more years.
High schools separate into academic schools for those who wish to attend universities and commercial or industrial high schools for students who do not plan a higher education. Teachers in academic high school teach exposure to subjects rather than mastery of the subjects because of the amount of material studied. Teachers do all the talking with no interaction of the students. The academic students study Japanese language, math, science, geography and history, art, civics foreign language, health and physical education, and home economics. Elective courses are limited to two courses per year and are selected to help prepare for the university entrance exam. In order to attend the most reputable and prestigious universities, high school students must take two examinations. One is the University Entrance Center Examination (UECE) based on the national curriculum. The other examination is a separate entrance examination given by each university.
Commercial students take courses to train them for a trade or occupation. These students do not study as hard because they do not have to take university exams and academic skills do not effect employment.
