Students may begin going to juku at as early as pre-elementary ages. High school students preparing decorations for a school festival. The Japanese school year begins in April. There is a summer vacation of several weeks, as well as two weeks off for the New Year. The school year ends in March, and there is a two-week break before the next year begins.
Students usually attend classes five or six days a week.
The teaching may utilize both conventional methods and such modern techniques as computer instruction. If classes are held on Saturday, they usually end by noon. Many students attend juku or have sports or other extracurricular activities in the afternoon. Classes may be as large as 40 students in elementary school. Student groups are therefore an important part of both learning and other activities.