The 11 best school systems in the world

Education is one of the most important things in the world. Without it our
youth would have no guidance in a very difficult world. However, education
systems are not universal and unfortunately some are better than the others.
Every year, the World Economic Forum releases its Global
Competitiveness Report on the state of the world's economies.
The WEF looks at data on areas as varied as the soundness of banks to the
sophistication of businesses in each country. It then uses the data to compile a
picture of the economy of almost every country on earth.
Countries were ranked according to the "12 pillars of competitiveness",
which includes macro-economic environment, infrastructure, health and primary
education, and labour market efficiency.
We have drilled down into the schooling data to look at which countries
have the best education systems. Neither the US nor the UK make the grade in the
top 11.
Here are the ones that did make the grade:
=9. Japan: 5.6
Japan is one of the top performing countries for literacy, science, and maths
in the OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
group. Students go through six years of elementary school, three years of junior
high school, and three years of high school before deciding whether they want to
go to university. High school is not compulsory but enrolment is close to 98%.

=9. Barbados: 5.9

The Barbados government has invested heavily in education, resulting in a
literacy rate of 98%, one of the highest in the world. Primary runs from 4 to 11,
with secondary 11 to 18. The majority of schools at both levels are state-owned
and run.

=9. New Zealand: 5.6

Primary and secondary education in New Zealand runs from aged 5 to aged
19, with school compulsory between 6 and 16. There are three types of secondary
schools in New Zealand: state schools educate approximately 85% of students,
state-integrated schools private schools that have been integrated into the state
but keep their special charter educate 12%, and private schools educate 3%.

8. Estonia: 5.7
Estonia spends around 4% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on
education, according to 2015 figures. The country's 1992 Education Act says that
the goals of education are "to create favourable conditions for the development of
personality, family and the Estonian nation; to promote the development of ethnic
minorities, economic, political and cultural life in Estonia and the preservation of
nature in the global economic and cultural context; to teach the values of
citizenship; and to set up the prerequisites for creating a tradition of lifelong
learning nation-wide."

=6. Ireland: 5.8

The majority of secondary schools in Ireland are privately owned and
managed but state-funded, but there are also state comprehensive and vocational
schools. However, a recent report shows that Ireland's spending on education fell
15% behind the developed world during the height of the financial crisis, 2008 to
2013, suggesting its education system could suffer in future.

=6. Qatar: 5.8

The BBC reported in 2012 that oil-rich Qatar was "becoming one of the
most significant players in the field of education innovation, supporting a raft of
projects from grassroots basic literacy through to high-end university research."
The country is investing heavily in improving educational standards as part of its
Vision 2030 programme to make the country self-sufficient. Government-funded
schools offer free education but only to Qatari citizens and most foreign nationals
tend to send their children to private schools.

5. Netherlands: 5.9
Dutch children were found to be the happiest in the world in a 2013 Unicef
study, leading the way globally educational well-being among others. Schools
typically don't give much homework until secondary level and students report
little pressure and stress. Schools are divided between faith schools and "neutral"
state schools, with only a small number of private schools.

4. Singapore: 6.1
Singapore scores incredibly highly in the PISA (Programme for
International Student Assessment) tests, which aim to measure and compare the
performance of students across different countries. However, the school system
also has a reputation as being a pressure cooker, putting students under a lot of
stress at a young age.

=2. Belgium: 6.2

Belgium has four different genres of secondary schools, namely general
secondary schools, technical secondary schools, vocational secondary education
schools, and art secondary education institutions. The Fulbright Commission in
the US, which organises student exchanges with Belgium and Luxembourg says:
"Education enjoys high priority, and the largest share of the regional
governments annual budget in Belgium. Complete systems of public and private
schools are available to all children between the ages of 4 and 18, at little or no
cost."

=2. Switzerland: 6.2

Just 5% of children attend private schools in Switzerland. Lessons are
taught in different languages depending on the region of Switzerland, with
German, French or Italian the most common languages of instruction. From
secondary school, students are separated by ability.

1. Finland: 6.7
Finland routinely tops rankings of global education systems and is famous
for having no banding systems all pupils, regardless of ability, are taught in the
same classes. As a result, the gap between the weakest and the strongest pupils is
the smallest in the world. Finnish schools also give relatively little homework and
have only one mandatory test at age 16.
1. What is education?

2. List some educational methods.

3. Education is divided into stages such as: ...

4. In Romania, high school is compulsory? But in Japan?

5. Why Qatar becomes one of the most significant players in the field of education
innovation?

6. What is the percentage of literacy rate in Barbados?

7. Which are the three types of secondary schools in New Zealand?

8. Give a synonym for the words achievement and skill.

9. How are the majority of secondary schools in Ireland?

10. Why the education system from Ireland could suffer in the future?

11. Who benefits from free school education in Qatar?

12. What is a faith school? (Netherlands)

13. Which country has a banding system?

14. Which country is famous for having no banding system?

15. Give an antonym for the word public (school) and a synonyms for the
adjective vocational.

16. What is literacy?

17. Give a synonym for the words pupil, development and teacher.
Homework (IN PAIRS) Words for making similes, metaphors, personifications
or epithets: door, key, mountain, river, bell, univers, culture, teacher, mind,
reflection, ignorance, weapon.
e.g.: Education is the door towards success.
e.g.: Education brings joy to your mental

Quotes: The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. (Aristotle)
Education must not simply teach work it must teach Life.
(W.E.B. Bois)