Secondary education in Japan

In education in Japan, secondary schools (kôtôgakkô) cover grades 10 through 12, and attendance is not compulsory. Most Japanese high schools have complicated admissions procedures, similar to university admissions in other countries. The top high schools, however, graduate their students directly into the top universities. Students that do not plan to attend university are generally tracked into vocational high schools: very few middle school graduates forego high school entirely, although they are free to do so if they wish.