The OECD has produced a ranking of school systems based on test scores for maths and science in 76 countries. Asian countries top the ranking, with Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan filling the top five places, and Vietnam in 12^th. By comparison, the UK is ranked 20^th, while the US holds the 28^th spot.

The rankings are based on an amalgamation of international assessments, including the OECD's Pisa tests, the TIMSS tests run by US-based academics and TERCE tests in Latin America, putting developed and developing countries on a single scale.

Media article source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32608772

British Council commentary

Each of the education systems in the highly ranked East Asian countries have demonstrable strengths; however, their stellar test results need to be grounded in the context of criticisms that an emphasis on rote learning has come at the cost of analytical and creative skills that higher education institutes and employers require.

Hong Kong, by Janice Ng, Janice.ng@britishcouncil.org.hk

Recent years have seen education reform in Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) being introduced. One of the purposes of the reform was to provide a more diversified curriculum, catering for students’ varied interests, needs and abilities, and to place more attention on personal development.

Despite this reform, the underlying culture of an obsession with exams has not changed. This is no doubt in part due to local universities only considering HKDSE exam results as entrance criteria. As a result, students naturally try to maximise ways to get as high a score as possible, with many students attending tutorial classes which involved drilling past exam papers, and examination skills.

Criticism of secondary education in Hong Kong is therefore as loud as ever.

Japan, by Ayako Towatari, Ayako.towatari@britishcouncil.or.jp

Japan also appears in the top five of PISA rankings. The strength of the Japanese secondary education system can be attributed to two factors:

• Universal provision of high quality education
• A high standard of teacher facilitation skills in classrooms, which contributes to students’ high performance

However, the system features a heavy focus on the university entrance exam, which critics believe has hindered the development of skills related to “cogitation, judgment, and expressiveness”. The Japanese government is now looking to change the university entrance system in order to meet this challenge.

Korea, by Joohee Ban, Joohee.ban@britishcouncil.or.kr

As with Japan, South Korea’s position in this ranking is perhaps not surprising considering its similar position in PISA rankings. Part of this success is undoubtedly due to the hard work demanded of Korean students – according to a report by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Korean students study on average three hours per day more than the OECD average.

Secondary education in Korea is also not without its controversies. The system is often criticised for narrowly focusing on cognitive achievement rather than creative skills. The stress that the Korean system places on students is also an issue, with youth suicide rates among the highest of OECD members. For this reason, Korea is piloting a programme which reduces the number of exam subjects from five to three and includes an exam-free semester during the three years of middle school. The programme is intended to give students more opportunities to explore creative activities and develop their individual talents. Full implementation is scheduled for 2016.

Singapore, by Susan Tan, susan.tan@britishcouncil.org.sg

In general, classroom instruction in Singapore is highly-scripted across all levels and subjects. Teaching in Singapore primarily focuses on coverage of the curriculum dictated by Ministry of Education, the transmission of facts and knowledge, and preparing students for the high stakes national examinations.

Teachers rely heavily on textbooks, worksheets, worked examples and lots of drill and practice.  They also strongly emphasise mastery of specific procedures and the ability to represent problems clearly, especially in mathematics.

In a global study by the OECD in 2014 demonstrated that 15-year-olds in Singapore are devoting 9.4 hours to homework a week, thus clocking the third-longest time spent on homework as compared to their peers worldwide.

The Singapore system has also not been without criticism. “We often see and read or hear criticisms of Singapore’s education system — it’s too structured, it’s too pressured, it’s too competitive, it’s too much hard work, (it’s) so stiff,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a secondary school’s dinner in 2014.  While he acknowledged the pressures faced by parents and students, he added: “Don’t forget this is a good system and it delivers good results for us”.

Taiwan, by Silvia Fan, silvia.fan@britishcouncil.org.tw

The quality of secondary education in Taiwan can be attributed to a number of factors, including:

• ŸA high proportion of highly qualified teachers – 40.9 per cent in lower secondary and 52.4 per cent in upper secondary possess postgraduate degrees.
• Student to teacher ratios – 12.5 students per teacher in lower secondary and 17.8 in upper secondary.

Currently the education system is focused on exams and formal assessment, with success in university entrance exams dependent on memorisation of high school curriculum content(as covered here). A new curriculum and university entrance system is therefore being considered for implementation in 2018, with changes to include greater emphasis on extra-curricular work and research. Wider curriculum reform is also planned, suggesting that the government perceives the need for change, despite Taiwan’s high ranking.

Vietnam, By Lien Ta, lien.ta@britishcouncil.org.vn

Vietnam has made major gains in the provision and quality of education in recent years. The country has achieved universal primary education, and is moving towards universal lower secondary education. The net enrolment rate for lower secondary education steadily increased over the 2006 – 2012 period, from 81 per cent in 200, to 87.2 per cent in 2012.

The quality of education at secondary schools has improved in a number of ways. For example, the teacher-to-student ratio in upper secondary schools increased by 12.9 per cent in the 2007 – 2012 period. The government has also focused on capacity building in rural schools, by improving pedagogical skills, developing standardised syllabi and building accommodation for teachers working in remote areas.

Despite these achievements, Vietnam’s secondary education system still faces significant challenges. Curricula and textbooks tend to be outdated and theoretical in focus, and classroom practices favour rote learning and memorisation. As a result, students leave the education system with high literacy skills, but, tend to lack the broader analytical and creative skills that employers require. Moreover, students at secondary schools are not given career guidance, which leads to a paradox of high graduate unemployment and shortages of skilled labour.

In short, the challenges Vietnam’s education system faces are not easily captured by standardised tests, as emphasised by Dr Tran Xuan Nhi, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, when Vietnam first joined the PISA test in 2012: “We should not be too happy with the results and forget all about our education system. PISA test results do not mirror the real state of an education system. We are a long way from other countries at the moment”.