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Originally Posted by Chance174

Japan only tests the best students, where our results are from a much wider section of the population.

Agreed...If you are not a good student (ie good at taking tests) you are removed from the academic track and sent to learn a trade. I understand this is very typical is a lot of European system as well. I am not sure if this is good or bad, but it certainly boosts test scores.

Another thing to consider is that Japan is homogeneous. Essentially is of Japanese heritage and is a native Japanese speaker. I believe this helps tests but is an overall disadvantage to their society.

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Originally Posted by ODH

Agreed...If you are not a good student (ie good at taking tests) you are removed from the academic track and sent to learn a trade. I understand this is very typical is a lot of European system as well. I am not sure if this is good or bad, but it certainly boosts test scores.

Another thing to consider is that Japan is homogeneous. Essentially is of Japanese heritage and is a native Japanese speaker. I believe this helps tests but is an overall disadvantage to their society.

I actually think that the lack of an established trade school track for students who aren't likely to succeed in traditional college is another thing we need to establish in order to continue to be competitive.

Germany for example is an excellent example of a system that puts kids on different tracks based on different skills and aptitudes.

We have those types of trade school systems here, but there is a stigma attached to them. The Germans have no such stigma.

What's interesting about their system is that they start it when the kids are in their early teens. So, the kid who goes on the trade track ends up as a master craftsman or journeyman in his trade at around the same time the college kid is graduating. Both are highly qualified and highly employable and both can command a solid living wage.