The 10 smartest countries based on math and science

Business Insider ^ | 05/13/2015 | Matthew Speiser

[SeekAndFind]

Singapore is the smartest country in the world, followed by Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Finland, Estonia, Switzerland, Netherlands and Canada rounding out the top 10.

The BBC says this is the conclusion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an economic think tank that outlined its findings in a new report ranking countries' school systems based on students math and science test scores.

The report – which the BBC received early access to – will be formally presented at the World Education Forum in South Korea next week.

Of the 76 countries ranked, the top half is largely dominated by Asian nations, the BBC reports. European countries take up a majority of spots 5 through 30 in the rankings, and the United States sits at the tail end of the top third, tied at 28th with Italy. The bottom half of the rankings feature mostly African and Latin American countries.

The bottom 10? Saudi Arabia at 66th, followed by Colombia, Qatar, Indonesia, Botswana, Peru, Oman, Morocco, Honduras, South Africa, and Ghana in last place.

[Clemenza]

Russians actually don't do too well in terms of IQ tests relative to other Europeans. The high level of alcoholism and low level of economic achievement of the Russian population grow out of the lack of cognitive ability.

There were quantitatively gifted Russians at one time: they were called Jews (and Latvians, Estonians).

[miliantnutcase]

Look at how low Sweden and Norway are doing. How the mighty have fallen. Wonder if it’s due to “diversity”...

[Jeff Chandler]

How did these countries rate on spelling?

[The Antiyuppie]

“Well, there’s BOOK smart, and there’s...”

I think that we’re still #1 in “feelings”, though. Great.

[The Antiyuppie]

“How did these countries rate on spelling?”

Funny you should mention that. In a lot of languages, there is no such thing as a “spelling bee”, because that language has no hidden sounds and all “spelling” is predictable. So, if you hear it spoken and pronounced properly, you can spell it. A language professsor in that language and a 5th grader would battle to a draw. I learned this when I was working on a spelling checker in an Eastern European language and soon realized that it wasn’t a spelling checker, it was a typo checker.

[Jeff Chandler]

I used to believe that the hybrid nature of English, which makes spelling so much fun, was a defect. Then I studied writing. I don’t know, but I would guess that few languages offer as wide a pallet of word subtleties as English. With English, it is possible to shade meanings to such a granular degree, it is a joy to work with.

[Art in Idaho]

". . and the United States sits at the tail end of the top third, tied at 28th with Italy. "

An absolute disgrace.

November 8, 2016. . Last chance for our Sacred Republic?

May God help us through this and guide up with the right decisions.

[LibWhacker]

Yawn... How many times has the good old USA swept, or nearly swept, all the Nobel Prizes in science? Wake me up when any CONTINENT even gets close.

[PCPOET7]

sorry for the typos. I have dyslexia so its hard for me to see my mistakes in spelling

[pallis]

Considering all the inner city schools that contribute to the average, it is no surprise that the US is not in the top 10. Multiculturalism has its price, a high one. But look at the bright side, all those kids from other countries, can now come to universities in the United States for cutting edge mathematics and science. ...Meanwhile, a large number of US students who would like to be in our best universities can’t be because they are victims of our mass education fiasco that drags the top down to the bottom in the name of fairness.

[Jeff Chandler]

I’m just messin’ with ya.

[Daffynition]

Watched some of the NatGeo Bee the other night. The kids were delightful! A vast majority of the students appeared to be of Indian descent. Two appeared to be Caucasian.

These top 10 finishers who competed in today’s preliminary round of the 2015 National Geographic Bee held today in Washington, D.C., will take part in the final round of the competition on Wednesday, May 13. They are Kapil Nathan of Alabama, Sojas Wagle of Arkansas, Nicholas Monahan of Idaho, Patrick Taylor of Iowa, Abhinav Karthikeyan of Maryland, Lucy Chae of Massachusetts, Shriya Yarlagadda of Michigan, Shreyas Varathan of Minnesota, Karan Menon of New Jersey and Tejas Badgujar of Pennsylvania. ©Rebecca Emily Drobis ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2015 National Geographic Bee

[9YearLurker]

Demographics matter too.

[Daffynition]

Anyone else remember a book called “Why Johnny Can’t Read?” [1955] Its author, Rudolph Flesch caused quite a stir. It coincided with the Cold War and the Space Race.

With the launch of Sputnik a whole lot of state and federal money poured into the schools. It was emphasized that getting a good education was our patriotic duty, our contribution to winning against the Soviets. Math and science classes were better funded and we had new books and equipment.

[Amagi]

But where does the US rank in what really counts with the education establishment, i.e., pervert sex education?
Thank you Arne Duncan.

[Paulie]

And Common Core hasn’t even taken root yet. Unless CC is eliminated lock, stock, and barrel, the U.S. is headed for the bottom 10. Easily.

[Vinnie]

Math lesson.. Two plus dos am fo.

[EEGator]

The top countries don’t have the anchors of 40 million Blacks ans 50 million Mexicans/C.A./S.A..

[Cronos]

well, East Indians are caucasians (racially I mean :)

[ScottinVA]

But the U.S. leads the world in the “sexual diversity” and “gender studies” areas.