Yobikō

The yobikō (予備校) are privately-run schools marketed to students who are taking examinations held each year in Japan from January to March to determine college admissions.

[1][2] They are for-profit private corporations[3] that are officially listed as schools by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

[5] Even so, they are subject to little supervision, as compliance with regulations for physical conditions what is mainly checked, and curriculum and teacher salaries are not inspected.

[9] Designed to prepare students to pass college entrance exams, the curriculum had memorization of facts and learning of exam-taking skills.

[25] Although it is considered a juku, among the courses it offers are classes specifically for entrance exam preparation, giving it a yobikō-like characteristic.

Japan’s low juvenile crime rate may be caused in part because children who attend yobikō or juku, in addition to regular school, have less free time.

[29] The strain on family income created by the expenses of sending children to yobikō or juku may be contributing to the declining birth rate in Japan.