 Another noteworthy institution was the daigakuryō, or the imperial academy, established for the education of imperial princes and aristocrats who were likely to be involved in government service. Ancient Japan never followed the Chinese practice of selecting bureaucrats by way of civil service exams based on Confucian learning and its practical applications. Yet, in sponsoring the daigakuryō and a variety of provincial schools modeled on the blueprint articulated in the Confucian Book of Rites, ancient Japan established an elite educational system centered largely around the study of Confucian texts and the socio-political values advanced in them.