Grades and rankings are important in themselves. Life, including schooling is only worthwhile if your reach your goals. The process has little or no intrinsic merit and must be abbreviated whenever possible so the goals can be reached sooner. The systems and its process don't matter, as long as the ends are achieved. Work is a task, not intended to bring joy and pride to the worker.
Students are passive, while teachers are active.
Teachers are isolated from each other by time and space. School learning restricted to the curriculum, often its narrowest interpretation. Rule by compliance with central command. Centralized control over resources, curricula, teaching methods, length of class periods, etc. Testing as the primary means of assessing results of the learning process.