Japan 's greatest educational achievement is the high-quality basic education most young people receive by the time they complete high school. In international mathematics tests, Japanese students rank at, or near the top year after year. Recent statistics indicate that well over 95 percent of Japanese are literate, and over 95 percent of Japanese graduate from high school.
From the beginning of the Japanese school year in April, FACE students attend a Japanese high school and take part in regular classes for the remainder of their stay. The school selected by YESI may be public or private, it may be in Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan. Students required to travel to other parts of Japan will be accompanied by YESI staff.
Schools do not receive tuition fees for exchange students, and therefore expect students to contribute to, and show an enthusiasm for school life. Japanese high school classes tend to be lecture style with little interaction between teacher and student. Because of the difficulty of studying in such an environment, some students may not be in an age-appropriate year. For example, year 12 students are likely to find themselves in year 11. Students are expected to attend all classes offered to them and abide by the rules of the school. After school clubs are an important part of Japanese school life and all FACE students are encouraged to take part in them. These clubs may be sport or culture based.