The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School
students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating.
Nowadays, there are over 100 countries participating from 5 continents.
Finland stands out globally for its innovative and equitable approach to education for its emphasis on no standardized testing, teacher excellence, shorter school days, focus on equity, and student autonomy.
Except for one national exam at the end of high school, students are not burdened with constant tests. All teachers must have a master's degree, and they are highly respected in society.
Students spend fewer hours in school, allowing time for play, hobbies, and family. The system emphasizes equal opportunities for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. Classrooms encourage critical thinking,
creativity, and self-directed learning.
South Korea's education system is indeed remarkable and has garnered global attention for rigorous curriculum, high literacy rates, intense competition, private academies, and parental involvement.
Its school system places a strong emphasis on math, science, and language skills, which are foundational for its students' success. Nearly universal literacy is achieved through effective primary education
and widespread access to learning resources. Academic excellence is highly valued, often driven by a culture that prioritizes education and hard work. Many students attend supplementary institutions
after school for additional instruction. Parents are deeply invested in their children's education, often playing an active role in their academic journey.
Denmark's education system is celebrated for its emphasis on critical thinking, collaborative learning, flexible curriculum, and equal opportunities. Schools encourage students to question, analyze,
and approach problems creatively, fostering a spirit of innovation. Teamwork and group projects are integral, teaching students how to work effectively with others. Students have the freedom to explore interests
and make independent choices, promoting intrinsic motivation. Education is free, including higher education, ensuring accessibility for all.
The Netherlands truly strikes an impressive balance between academic success and prioritizing student well-being, and is known for its student-centered approach, including bilingual focus, tailored learning,
holistic approach, interactive teaching, and encouraging autonomy. Students excel in languages, with many schools offering programs in both Dutch and English. Students are placed into educational tracks
based on their abilities and interests, ensuring personalized paths for growth. Schools emphasize mental health and well-being, fostering a supportive and stress-free environment. Lessons often involve active
discussions and experiential learning, making education engaging and practical. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning, nurturing independence and critical thinking.
As per the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, the highest level of education of the population
age 25 and older in the United States ranged from less than high school to advanced degrees beyond a bachelor’s degree.
14% had completed advanced education such as a master’s degree, professional degree or doctorate.
23% had a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree.
10% had an associate degree as their highest level of school completed.
15% had completed some college but not a degree.
28% had high school as their highest level of school completed.
9% had less than a high school diploma or equivalent.
U.S. students' academic performance often ranks lower compared to their peers in many other countries.
For instance, in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, U.S. students scored lower than students in 5 countries in reading, 25 countries in mathematics, and 9 countries with
higher science for 15-year-old students. It's a complex issue with many contributing factors, including differences in educational systems, teaching methods, and socio-economic factors.
Of all the K-12 schools in the U.S., as of 2020 there were 128,961 schools,
including 98,469 public schools and 30,492 private schools.
Of all the K-12 schools in the world, the largest school is the City Montessori School in India, which has over 32,000 students; the smallest school is in Turin, Italy, and has just one pupil.
Every year, only 69 percent of American high school seniors earn their diplomas, and about 70 percent of all entering American ninth-grade students read below grade level.
American students in poor and minority schools are twice as likely to have an inexperienced teacher and are 61 percent more likely to be assigned an uncertified teacher.
In the US only about 78 percent of students earn their high school diplomas in four years. Among students of color, only 71 percent of Hispanic, 66 percent of African American, and 69 percent of American
Indian and Alaska Native students in the U.S. graduate with a regular diploma, compared to 83 percent of white students and 94 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander students.
On average, over a lifetime, college graduates earn $1.19 million; high-school graduates earn $580,000.
People can make much more money by earning a college degree; a person with a Bachelor's degree will earn, on average, almost twice as much as workers with a high school diploma.
A high school dropout often earns about $260,000 less than high school graduates, and $800,000 less than college graduates in their lifetime.
There are approximately 1.3 million students failed to graduate from U.S. high school annually.
McGuffey's Readers was graded collections of didactic tales and excerpts from great books, reflecting the proper education of young people required their introduction to a wide variety of
topics and practical matters. McGuffey's Readers guide children from learning the alphabet all the way to high school materials, as each volume increased in skill level; they became standard texts in nearly
all states in the U.S. since 1836.
According to a new study, parents in emerging economies spend more time helping children with schoolwork than those in richer nations;
parents in India spend an average of 12 hours a week helping with homework; Vietnam followed, where moms and dads spend 10.2 hours a week doing homework with their children; parents in the United States and Poland offered 6.2 hours each, while those in the UK give up 3.6 hours;
Finland’s parents offer 3.1 hours, and Japanese parents help for 2.6 hours each week. It also found that better-educated parents were the most likely to provide the most assistance to their children, while 39% of those who had only been educated to primary level gave no help at all.
In 1964, in the U.S. just 27% of blacks ages 25 and older had a high school diploma, while the share is 88% in 2015; by comparison, 51% of whites in 1964 had a diploma, versus 93% in 2015.
Fascinated by numbers, a young whiz masters math, Stephanie Mui, 17,
not yet out of high school, received a master's degree in math in May 2017 at George Mason University. By the end of fifth grade, Stephanie began taking classes at NOVA, earning an associate’s degree by age 13. She earned enough credits to enroll at Mason as a junior by spring 2015 and received received a bachelor's degree in math in May 2016.
Mui, who plans to attend New York University in 2017 fall on a full research fellowship to begin work on a PhD in math, boasts a GPA of just below 4.0, with one A-minus in an English class at Mason.
The United States used to be the leader in quantity and quality of K-12 education; today U.S. students rank around the middle of the pack,
and behind many other advanced industrial nations. The most recent PISA results, from 2015, placed the U.S. an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science. Among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science.
Only 43 percent of test-takers in 2013 met the SAT's definition of being prepared for college; the 1.6 million test-takers averaged 496 in reading, 514 on math and 488 on writing.
Online course completion rates are very low, averaging 4% across all courses and ranging from 2% to 14% depending on the course and measurement of completion.
There were around 6,000 charter schools serving about 2.3 million students in the 2012-2013 school year in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
A study conducted by Stanford University researchers showed that only 29 percent of charter schools performed better in math than local public schools.
In the U.S., around 14 percent of new teachers leave by the end of their first year; 33 percent leave within their first three years; and almost 50 percent leave in five years.
In New York city, students are required to take a test to study at 9 specialized high schools, which were designed for the best and the brightest.
In 2012, 733 of the 12,525 black and Hispanic students who took the exam were offered seats (6%).
For whites, 1,253 of the 4,101 test takers were offered seats (31%). Of 7,119 Asian students who took the test, 2,490 were offered seats (35%).
The U.S. ranks 14th in the world in the percentage of 25-34 year-olds with higher education (42%).
The odds that a young person in the U.S. will be in higher education if his or her parents do not have an upper secondary education are just 29% - one of the lowest levels among OECD countries.
The U.S ranks 28th in the percentage of 4-year-olds in early childhood education, with a 69% enrolment rate.
Across all OECD countries, 30% of the expenditure on higher education comes from private sources, while in the U.S., 62% does.•Teachers in the U.S. spend between 1,050 and 1,100 hours a year teaching – much more than in almost every country.
As of 2011 46% of teachers in public schools leave the profession within five years.
Americans spend about $4.7 on graduation gifts annually.
In 2010, there were about 16.3 million public school students in grades 9 to 12 in the United States.
There are approximate 99,000 public elementary and secondary schools with around 3.3 million teachers for
about 50 million students in the U.S. Of these, almost 35.0 million are in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and 14.8 million in grades 9 through 12. An additional 5.8 million students attend private schools.
About 3,327,000 students are expected to graduate from high school in 2009–10, including 3,005,000 from public high schools and 321,000 from private high schools.
The percentage of high school completers enrolling in college was 68.6 percent in 2008. The enrolling rate for females is 71.5 percent while the rate for males is 65.9 percent.
While the adult education program, which is designed for adults, teaches basic remedial lessons, continuing education is for adults to further their existing education.
More than half (57%) of teachers hold master's degrees; however, this teaching profession has an average national starting salary of $30,377 while computer programmers start at an average of $43,635, public accounting professionals at $44,668, and registered nurses at $45,570.
Teachers spend an average of 50 hours per week on instructional duties, including an average of 12 hours each week on non-compensated school-related activities such as grading papers, bus duty, and club advising.
Almost 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession during the first five years of teaching, and 37 percent of teachers who do not plan to continue teaching until retirement blame low pay for their decision to leave the profession.
In 2010, there were about 16.3 million public school students in grades 9 to 12 in the United States.
There are approximate 99,000 public elementary and secondary schools with around 3.3 million teachers for
about 50 million students in the U.S. Of these, almost 35.0 million are in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and 14.8 million in grades 9 through 12. An additional 5.8 million students attend private schools.
About 3,327,000 students are expected to graduate from high school in 2009–10, including 3,005,000 from public high schools and 321,000 from private high schools.
The percentage of high school completers enrolling in college was 68.6 percent in 2008. The enrolling rate for females is 71.5 percent while the rate for males is 65.9 percent.
There were 1.5 million home schooled students in the United States in 2007.
E-learning (or eLearning) is the use of electronic educational technology in learning and/or teaching. It is sometimes referred to as online learning, distance education, internet-based training, web-based training, flexible learning and digital education.
Teacher Resoucces --
A site that offers teachers to find online resources more quickly and easily.
The site also provides lesson plans, thematic units, teacher tips, teacher discussion forums,
downloadable teaching materials, printable pages, themes, and more..
Facing Online Fraudulent Degrees --
Today many online schools provides diploma mills, which are not accredited and students essentially pay
for a meritless piece paper. It is estimated that there are over 400 diploma mills and 300 counterfeit diploma web sites
doing business of more than $500 million annually. Visit U.S. Department of Education or
Better Business Bureaus to search database of accredited post-secondary schools or check out
an online degree program's reputation.
Education World --
A site where educators can search information with original content, including
lesson plans, practical information for teachers, educational technology for classroom, and articles.
Top Colleges Tuition & Fees
Rank
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School Name
Princeton University
MIT
Harvard University
Stanford University
Yale University
University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins U
U of Pennsylvania
California Inst of Tech
Duke University
Northwestern U
Dartmouth College
Brown University
Vanderbilt University
Rice University
Family Education Network
-- FEN is an online consumer network of the world's best learning and information resources, personalized to help parents, teachers, and students of all ages take control of their learning and make it part of their everyday lives.
Global Warming
-- While North America and Europe—where the science is strongest—exhibit the highest density of indicators, scientists have made a great effort in recent years to document the early impacts of global warming on other continents.
Infoplease - All the Knowledge You Need
-- The largest educational publisher in the world, has been providing authoritative answers to all kinds of factual questions since 1938 in a way that engages and entertains.
Innovative Lives
-- The Lemelson Center's Innovative Lives series inspires young people to explore the interdisciplinary world of invention. By interacting with American inventors and entrepreneurs, middle-school students learn firsthand about history, technology, and science.
Marian Koshland Science Museum
-- Opened in April 2004, the Museum features state-of-the-art exhibitions targeted to the general public, bringing to life the numerous studies conducted by the National Academies every year.
National Center for Education Statistics
-- Provides the educational databases and tools that allow user to search for schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and information related to education nationwide in the U.S.
Nobel
-- On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will in Paris, briefly outlining his vision of five prizes for those who during the past year have done humanity the greatest service.
Questia
-- The first online library that provides 24/7 access to the world's largest online collection of books and journal articles in the humanities and social sciences, plus magazine and newspaper
articles. To complement the library, Questia offers a range of search, note-taking, and writing tools.
Smithsonian Institution
-- Established since August 10, 1846, Smithsonian Institution is an institutional memory of a unique American cultural resource and a steward of the national collections.
STEM Learning
-- STEM Learning is the largest provider of education and careers support in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). We work with schools, colleges and others working with young people across the UK..
Tales of Future Past
--...True, we didn't know exactly what the future would be like, but we knew that it had to be one ofa few alternatives; some good, some very bad. The future was a world with a distinct architecture ...
World Wildlife Fund
-- From working to save the giant panda and bringing back the Asian rhino to establishing and helping to manage parks and reserves worldwide, WWF has been a conservation leader for more than 40 years.
Education News
-- A Global Leading News Source covering educational, political, business, and environmental issues.
Inside Higher ED
-- An online source for news, opinion and jobs for higher education.
UnivSearch
-- The site has compiled the largest database including information about 9500+ Colleges, Community Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
Edublogs
-- The largest educational blogging network based in Australia, but with employees located all over the globe, the Edublogs team consists of some of the best EdTech and web minds in the biz ...
Education HQ:
-- All about every college, university, post-secondary institute, public library, and public K-12 school.
Best Business Schools
-- Reports on ranking MBA schools by measuring student and recruiter satisfaction.
College Confidential
-- Finding and getting into a school is one thing. Figuring out what to do with your education is another. College Confidential helps you ...
Barack Obama (Barnard '12)
- "And if you’re willing to do your part now, if you’re willing to reach up
and close that gap between what America is and what America should be, I
want you to know that I will be right there with you. If
you are ready to fight for that brilliant, radically simple idea of
America that no matter who you are or what you look like, no matter who
you love or what God you worship, you can still pursue your own
happiness, I will join you every step of the way."(Video)
Barack Obama (Wesleyan '08)
- "Now understand this - believing that change is possible
is not the same as being naïve. Go into service with your eyes wide open, for change
will not come easily. On the big issues that our nation faces, difficult choices await.
We’ll have to face some hard truths, and some sacrifice will be required – not only from
you individually, but from the nation as a whole."(Video)
Bill Gates (Harvard '07)
- "We can make market forces work better for the poor if we can
develop a more creative capitalism - if we can stretch the reach of market forces so that
more people can make a profit, or at least make a living, serving people who are suffering
from the worst inequities."(Video)
Barack Obama (Knox College '05)
- "Your time is limited, so don't waste it
living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with
the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions
drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow
your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."(Video)
Steve Jobs (Stanford '05)
- "So let’s dream. Instead of doing nothing or simply defending 20th century solutions, let’s imagine together what we could do to give every
American a fighting chance in the 21st century."(Video)
Toni Morrison (Wellesley '04)
- "What it feels like to be human without domination over others, without
reckless arrogance, without fear of others unlike you, without rotating,
rehearsing and reinventing the hatreds you learned in the sandbox. And
although you don’t have complete control over the narrative (no author
does, I can tell you), you could nevertheless create it."(Video)
Carleton Fiorina (MIT '00)
- "Leadership is not about hierarchy or title or status; it is about
having influence and mastering change. Leadership is not about bragging rights or battles or
even the accumulation of wealth; it's about connecting and engaging at multiple levels. It's
about challenging minds and capturing hearts."
Richard N. Kaplan (Illinois '99)
- "...we're not perfect, but trying your best to be honest, fair
and accurate in your life, no matter what you do and being dedicated to taking responsibility,
for admitting a wrong when the train runs off the tracks, which it inevitably will, this is
central to your being a person of good character."
Bill Clinton (MIT '98)
- "But to make the very most of your life and the opportunities you
have been given, you, too, must rise to your responsibility to give something back to America
of what you have been given. As the years pass your generation will be judged and you will begin
to judge yourselves not only on what you do for yourself and your family, but on the contributions
you make to others -- to your country, your communities, your generation of children."(Video)
Oprah Winfrey (Wellesley '97)
- "Turn your wounds into wisdom. You will be wounded many times in your life.
You'll make mistakes. Some people will call them failures but I have learned that failure is really
God's way of saying, "Excuse me, you're moving in the wrong direction." It's just an experience,
just an experience."
Salman Rushdie (Bard College '96)
- "Do not bow your heads. Do not know your place. Defy the gods. You will be astonished how many of them turn out to have feet of clay.
Be guided, if possible, by your better natures."
Clarence Thomas and Yale
- "I’d learned the hard way that a law degree from Yale meant one thing for white graduates and another for blacks, no matter how much anyone denied it."
Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler Group, (University of Toledo, 8 May 2011) - "In the months and years ahead, you will face the enormous challenge of keeping up with a constantly changing world. You will need to be open and flexible in order to embrace that change.
The winds of change will blow you off course if you are not anchored by a core set of values. While circumstances may change around us, values are not negotiable. Defining your values is much more than an academic exercise.
It takes time and effort to clarify what you believe in, what puts meaning into your life and, ultimately, gives you integrity."
