All 207 public elementary and junior high schools in Kitakyushu will hold extra classes during the upcoming summer vacation, according to the city's board of education.
The board and school principals agreed Wednesday that extra classes would enhance students' learning skills and educational levels, particularly as the school week was recently reduced from six days to five, according to an official of the board.
He said the decision follows a recent poll of local students that found most of them are studying less.
Thirty-eight percent of students in their first or second year of junior high school and about 26 percent of elementary school students said they rarely study after school on weekdays.
The board said the extra classes will probably start around the end of July, right after the summer vacation starts, with schools providing a two-hour curriculum in the mornings for about a week.
Each school will determine its own teaching style for the extra classes, some of which may differ from the regular school year.
While it will not be compulsory for students to attend the sessions, the school board is predicting most will take part.