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Observing the School system from 3 countries, Thailand, Japan and The US, the major difference is the elementary/middle school years in the Asian countries focus intensely on rote memorization which is excellent for math & sciences, and thus produces a strong work force in Engineering, Sciences, Architecture etc.
In this regard the US is severely lacking.
However, creative thinking and problem solving wise, the US excels greatly i think. In higher education, particularly at the Ph.D/M.D. level, where you're presented with a problem to solve the U.S. college system vastly beats out the Asian system, which discourages independent thinking. The systems are different. If there could be more of the Asian system from 1st to 8th grade, and the us system from 9th on, i think the system would be excellent.

I'm a grad student studying to be a teacher. We are warned not to give lectures, (a.k.a. "chalk and talk") not to expect or require rote memorization, and we are required to give homework (or "home connections") daily by most public schools. If a principal found out you gave little or no homework, you'd have some explaining to do. We are being taught that every lesson should be constructive rather than merely instructive, utilize multiple intelligences, and sequence through Bloom's taxonomy to promote higher order thinking. The focus is on students solving problems and answering their own questions. The banking system (depositing knowledge in their heads, withdrawing it later) is now taboo. So parents, it's up to you too. Drill your kids on facts, help them make flash cards and study; do the kinds of things a teacher with a room full of 28 kids at various levels can't (or isn't supposed) to do.

were in charge of the schools which made for a fairly miserable existence for kids - particularly bright kids.

Responding to the caller who went to school in Rhodesia in the 70s: I went to Australia to teach from 74 - 76 and the students did wear uniforms and there was a premium on getting work done but teachers were filling the chalk board with busy work and students were furiously copying it into their notebooks but not much learning was going on. English teachers were not expected to discuss literature with students. The teachers from America were told that we were brought over to shake up a system with a very progressive syllabus (improve the students reading, writing, speaking, and listening) but older, entrenched headmasters who stressed "filling the students' notebooks with purposeful work."

(Could not get on to your section regarding schools)

Hi Brian,

I come from an eastern European country. First I have to say that kids here have to learn that it is ok to have some homework. Knowledge does not enter by itself in your head. Second the level of the teachers is very low, and third there is no respect for the school as an institution or the teachers in the US. School here is a place to hand out. And last just by sending kids to school the parents are not done, they have to do their part in order for the kids to get to the levet they dream...

It's not that the people are biologically smarter, its that they work harder to achive an education.

Longer school days and throughout the summer as well.

My husband was schooled in Iran. They kept a heavy workload to keep the youth too busy to become politically active.

I feel like we need better quality time IN school. Children need to be challenged in school. Education tied to all the testing is detrimental to the quality of schooling. We should encourage balanced full lives. Children need time to develop other interests outside of schools. Less homework too!

Not quantity of education -- QUALITY of education!!

(Like writing in complete sentences.)

I grew up in India through out my schooling. One basic difference I notice here is that EACH year student have to take proper written exams which are descriptive and not options based. You must pass that to proceed to next year. At 10th grade you take a big state level exam which will than determine if you qualify to go for science, commerce or arts stream. after 2 year at 12th grade you take another state level exam which will determine your university admissions. lots of studies and uniform through out. VOTE FOR IT.

Make the school day longer only if it means longer classes, otherwise fewer, longer classes. There's no time to learn anything in an American classroom because it's assumed, self-fulfillingly, that kids don't have the attention span for more. Make educating not babysitting the priority.

Came from Nigeria and entered the new york city school system in the 3rd grade in 1981. The work was so easy here I found myself staring out of the window most of the school day! Preparation in Nigerian schools was INTENSE back then! Serious drilling and higher levels of rigor in each topic! Testing showed I was several grades ahead in terms of my mastery.

Brian-

I grew up in Ghana W/A, and my mom was a teacher in a public school. I went to a private school and during holidays and breaks from the private school, my mom made me enroll in the public and so that i don't at home. So i was in school all yr round and it wasn't the most pleasant thing because i felt i did not enjoy my childhood.

Nich

Growing up in France until I was 9 (1969) The school days started at 8:30am and ended at 5:00pm... Thursday was a half day and Saturday was a half day.

It would make sense to have longer schooldays since parents work all day long.

When asked why there would be no walk/bikeway on the Verrazano, Robert Moses supposedly changed his line that he did not want suicides and said, "People DON'T pay!"