The Japanese education system consists of primary education (6 years), lower secondary education (3 years), upper secondary education (3 years), and university-level education (4 years). In addition, other options are available: Technical college (5 years) for those who graduate from junior high school (lower secondary education), and junior college (2 years) for those who graduate from senior high school (upper secondary education). Primary education and lower secondary education are compulsory in Japan. After that, students can go on to higher education as long as they pass the required entrance examinations. The percentage of students advancing to senior high school is 97%. This means that nearly all children receive upper secondary education. The percentage of students continuing on to university is around 35%.

At elementary schools (primary education), homeroom teachers teach most of the subjects, while at junior high and senior high schools, teachers teach only the subjects in which they specialize. The law provides that the number of students in a class may not exceed more than 40 students. Compulsory subjects for secondary education include Japanese, English, mathematics, science, social studies, music, fine arts, domestic science, and physical education.

The content of the curriculum is much the same nationwide because it must be designed
according to teaching guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Textbooks are written in accordance with the Ministry's teaching guidelines and must be screened by the Ministry before they are used in schools. Whether text-books are written 'within the teaching guidelines' comprises one of the screening criteria.

(Excerpt from the Japan Teachers' Union pamphlet)