

Why Other Countries Teach Better - wrongc0ntinent
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/opinion/why-students-do-better-overseas.html?hp&rref=opinion

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bsaul
A problem with this study ( which made a lot of noise in france as well), is
that it doesn't show the result per child social / economical level. It's a
typical case of hidden factor : i don't believe that rich neighbourhood high
schools are worst in the us than an average finish one. The problem is how
many you've got compared to the poor neighbourhood schools ( i don't think
poor/rich is the only hidden factor but it's an example).

Some people here noticed that the top ranking countries have a much more
homogeneous population. Which could explain why they're performing better "on
average" ( school system is more easily adapted to a great number of people).

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wobbleblob
"Some people here noticed that the top ranking countries have a much more
homogeneous population."

That is just a matter of perception, and a wrong perception at that. The old
world is actually far more diverse than the USA, where a single language,
culture, political system and economy dominates in all corners, and is
continually more homogenized by the mass media and highway system.

It is just that you don't see the diversity in foreign cultures, or don't rate
the diversity you do see as relevant, while your brain exaggerates the
diversity within the culture you are familiar with. It's the same mechanism
that makes 'all Chinese look alike' to white westerners, and 'all westerners
look alike' to people in China.

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bsaul
That may be true, but i'm not sure hong kong, shangai or finland have the same
melting pot culture and centuries of immigrants as usa or france..

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wobbleblob
Immigration has very little to do with a population being homogeneous or not.
Take the few extremely diverse countries with extremely heterogeneous
populations: Russia, India, Indonesia. These countries do not have a recent
history of immigration at all.

Now take a few counter examples: The USA and Brazil. Despite the vast size of
these countries, and the high immigration rate, they both have a population
that is rather homogeneous compared to what you'll find in the old world.
Economically, the USA is more homogeneous still.

I get the impression that to Americans the only measure for diversity is skin
color, because you are used to everything else being the same.

