Monbusho approves textbooks and sets the curriculum for the country. The curriculum is decided by a council and is known as the Course of Study. Each school system may organize the curriculum to meet the individual needs within the community and school. Public school teachers are considered civil servants and fall nominally under the authority of local boards of education. Most students in Japan wear uniforms to school.
Most schools have their own uniforms and require the students to purchase the outfit.
The students are trained at school to discipline mind and body in a variety of ways. They have mandatory classes and then are strongly encouraged to participate in a variety of clubs which meet before and after school. Outside of the public school system, many students attend juku or cram school in the evenings. These are privately run and usually specialize in certain subjects such as English or math. Upon arriving, everyone changes from their outside shoes to their inside shoes in the genkan.