A few even managed to misinterpret the results. By contrast, the Icelandic eighth graders got 6 percent fewer items correct and fell all the way to 30th place. Even though most nations post similar scores in international comparisons, Asian countries consistently outperform the others. Certainly there are some things we should change. For example, Japanese teachers benefit from a longer school day but a shorter teaching day, giving them more time to prepare their lessons.
Japanese teachers are also more collegial than American teachers, who mostly work in isolation.
But we should also be aware that the Asian nations' high scores come in part from practices we would not wish to emulate. In Taiwan, for instance, the schools are rigidly divided into academic and vocational tracks. Korean families often spend 20 to 30 percent of their incomes on after-school private schools and tutors, and mothers ply their children with caffeine to keep them studying late into the night. Some students have an 80-hour school week. Singapore's high-performing school system, which has a reputation for being both rigorous and rigid, also has some unusual advantages.