For example, a prefectural high school founded in 1995 in Kanagawa Prefecture, neighboring Tokyo, posts the course list by day and time, much like a university. The students are responsible for putting together their own schedule. Those who have no morning classes can come to school in the afternoon, and if classes end early they are free to go home. The school offers a total of 154 courses; students are required to take certain courses to graduate, but 65 of the elective courses are in subjects including volunteering, stage performance, and engineering, which are not usually taught at the high-school level. Students can choose from an array of foreign languages that includes not only English but also Chinese, German, and Spanish, among others.

At the other end of the spectrum is another prefectural high school in Nara Prefecture, near Osaka, where 90% of graduates advance to four-year universities. This school adopted the credit system in 1995, but has incorporated it in such a way that the students' freedom of choice gradually increases, aiming to facilitate effective course selection toward university entrance exams. The teachers construct the schedule after receiving course applications from all of the students. The hours are unchanged from the old system, with six classes a day from Monday through Friday and four on Saturday. The school advises the students to fill their schedule during the first two years; they are allowed up to four hours of free time per week in their third year, but are expected to use this time to study on their own.

Demanding Initiative of Students
The number of high schools incorporating the credit system has been rising each year since its inception in 1988. According to the Ministry of Education, there were 146 public and 24 private credit-system schools as of the end of March 1998. The system was initially introduced only in correspondence and part-time high schools, where most of the students study between their work. Its popular image was that there are no grade levels and thus no repeating grades, that students can freely choose their classes and decide on their own schedule, and most of all, that former dropouts can readily receive an education. Later, in 1993, the system was expanded to include regular high schools.

The evaluation of the system is just as varied. Students enrolled in credit-system high schools are expected to go to the appropriate classrooms rather than stay in one room while the teachers move around. The dominant opinion among educators in the field, therefore, is that in exchange for the freedom, this demands initiative and strict self-discipline on the part of the students. Some students who cannot find a concrete goal may stop coming to school or drop out altogether. Thus, they say, offering proper student guidance at these high schools is more difficult than at regular schools. On the other hand, alternatives like retaining the same regulations as the regular system and gearing the curriculum to university entrance exams invite just as much criticism.

Although ten years have passed since their inception, credit-system high schools still seem to be at a stage of trial and error. Nevertheless, many students are drawn by the prospect of selecting courses that suit their individual goals. Spurred on by this popularity, the trend continues as a succession of high schools move to join the growing credit-system flock.