All Japanese children must attend school from ages six to fifteen, but many children begin earlier than this, starting kindergarten at the age of three or four. Almost all children stay in school until they are eighteen. After that, about a third of them go on for further education. Some students in Japan do not go to the senior high school nearest their homes.
People feel that some schools and universities are much better than others.
They believe that a student who goes to a good high school will be able to get into a good university, which will make it easier to get a good job. Therefore, there is intense competition for some schools. All schools choose their students according to the results of entrance examinations. Each school makes its own examination. The examinations for the most famous schools are very difficult.