Saturday, April 1, 2023
Home Blog Page 4

What is the World Top 20 Project?

0

What is the World Top 20 Project?

Nearly one billion people will not be able to read this article by the year 2030. WHY?

How did we get here? Something from nothing that is how the world began. So what is next?

Things started growing, evolving, movement leading to more movement. Things begin to happen. Moments turn into action, actions started to get reactions, a need for organizing and placing things in order. So starting to build became a need to protect and survive. Life became man, and man became life.

For centuries things continue to change, evolve into something new. To the point, the man wanted to walk on the moon. With all that, the need to evolve, man could do nothing if he or she could not communicate with one another.

We have entered the 21st century, things are still, involving, Yet mankind has not yet, reached its full potential. That is because over 700 million people cannot keep up with the ever-changing world.

700 Million will turn into over one billion by 2030 if we do not take a breath and think about one billion people. That is a lot of people. That is a lot of weight that is holding down progress. That is slowing down, dragging down mankind.

We have to fix this problem. Either we accept this challenge or wait for whatever comes next.

Mankind its Own Worst Enemy

Our organization, NJ MED, wants to help. We joined the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Initiative to share our knowledge of how to overcome barriers and obstacles in educating at-risk communities.

Despite the fact that we are headquartered in the United States, we have turned around the most difficult-to-reach groups in America’s poorest and most violent city. As a result, the notion that nothing can be achieved has become second nature.

We asked the UN what the most difficult aspect of achieving their educational objective of “ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all” was.

According to the United Nations, about 260 million children do not have access to education. After the age of 11, another 400 million students, mainly girls, drop out.

We asked the most important question to examine the problem based on our experience: where is the data? Where are you getting these figures from if you don’t have reliable or at least valid up-to-date data? The number one issue we discovered was inadequate recordkeeping by local schools and school districts.

According to the United Nations, each country keeps its own records. As a result, we began collecting data from over 200 countries and discovered that only 63 countries had data that was up to date within two-years. Data from another 30 to 40 countries is four to five years old. The remaining countries have data ranging from ten years old to none at all.

So this is where we started looking for a solution to the problem. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them,” Albert Einstein said. Factors shift, and we need to be aware of them. This is where we must start.

Building Together

As a result, we must locate correct data. Our organization has been publishing quarterly and annual rankings of the nation’s education systems for the past seven years. Our most important job has been convincing the countries Department of Education to cooperate with us. But to no avail!

Therefore, we must depend on data from six different international organizations: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (UNESOC), The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS). Then, to ensure that the data is correct, we submit it to each country’s Ministry of Education Department.

Once again, no reply! If we want to help the United Nations in achieving their Sustainable Development Goals, we must take a different approach.

This dynamic approach is the World Top 20 Project. Whose goal is to form a National Team of students, teachers, parents, and educators to help us in collecting data on education in their country.

Create Interest – National Teams

Albert Mitchell II, the CEO/Founder of NJ MED, has over 35 years of experience in global sports marketing. Working with the media and national leaders to bring the World Cup to America in 1994 is one example. He is aware of the enthusiasm and emotional commitment that countries make in their national pride through sports.

So, in 2018, NJ MED launched the World Top 20 Project in an attempt to transfer the nation’s enthusiasm and emotional commitment to their sports teams to their children and communities. It appears to be easy, but it is hard to do.

You must have something to benefit or accomplish to make a National Team represent your country. As a result, the World Top 20 Project will focus on five educational levels for students aged three to twenty-three. From early childhood enrollments to primary and secondary school completion rates to high school and college graduation rates.

The World Top 20 Project will develop five educational goals for each educational level for 2030 to generate interest. These objectives focus on current achievement levels, the country’s economic and social conditions, and the youth population.

As a result, each country’s national team now has a target of achieving those five educational goals by 2030.

I See Where this is Going

Starting this year, we will challenge every country on the planet to present their most recent data for all five levels in education. The Global Academic Awards (GAA) is an international competition.

Countries from all over the world will be matched in this competition. First, they will compete from their intercontinental geographical areas. After that, it’s on to the continent stage. Africa, Asia, Central America, North America, South America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Oceania are among them.

The winners of each continent will progress to the global rounds. The country with the highest cumulative score advances to the medal rounds. The gold medal is awarded to the nation with the highest overall score. A silver medal is awarded to the second-highest score. The bronze medals will go to the two countries with the third-highest ratings.

The tournament will be held concurrently with the World Olympic Games. Next year, we will host a second international educational competition, The World Education Championship (WEC), which will be held in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup. The following year, in addition to the FIFA Women’s World Cup games, we will host our third international competition, The International Tournament of Education Excellence (ITEE).

With all eyes on the sporting world, we will challenge countries, leaders, and people to think about their children’s futures, as well.

Build it, and they will Come

It’s difficult to attract an audience for something you can’t see, hear, or attend. It would be perfect if we could get just one person, rather than an entire country, excited or interested. It’ll take a lot of persuasion. That is why we need everyone to stand behind the flag.

Every One Behind the Flag is one of the World Top 20 Project’s three promotional campaigns. The foundation of this campaign is gaining support from schools, universities, corporations, non-governmental organizations, and the media. By emphasizing the importance of helping in the improvement of educational quality for our children and future leaders of the nation.

We will urge local communities and national governments to collect the data needed to track the progress of the nation’s education system if this campaign will succeed. This information will be used in the three international competitions to mobilize people.

The World Top 20 Project’s second campaign, Futbol and Books, will help collect data twice a year to ensure that data is collected from all parts of the country. The number of children in school from Early Childhood to Lower Secondary will be included in the data they gather in the spring. The number of children who are not attending school will be included in the data gathered in the fall.

Adopt a Country is the name of the third campaign. This campaign will focus on collaborating with universities and colleges in their country to track the number of high schools and college students. As well as the number of students who graduated the previous year.

As you can see, the World Top 20 Project aims to promote inclusion and ensure that each nation is responsible for educating children from all parts of the world.

Reality versus Perception

The goal of saving and educating one billion people may not be attainable. It becomes more of a perception if we know it can happen.

Our commitment is to plan for the transformation of our perception into a belief that it will become a reality. To think that things will start to grow, evolve, and move in a direction that leads to more movement. Things will begin to fall into place. Moments turn into actions, and actions begin to elicit responses, forcing the need to organize and place things in their proper places. As a result, beginning to rebuild becomes a duty to secure and thrive.

The World Top 20 Project helps to end illiteracy worldwide. But, in order for this to occur, we must reduce gender inequality and eliminate poverty in communities.

Only if we can communicate with one another could this be possible. Working together to educate one another and having faith in one another.

A Smarter World is our philosophy. A Greater World. Become a part of this world with us. Join the World Top 20 Project.

A Smarter World. A Greater World: The World Top 20 Project

0

A Smarter World. A Greater World: The World Top 20 Project

NJ MED says they can end global illiteracy by 2030

NJ MED believes they can save the world and make everybody in it smarter. By ending global illiteracy. Let’s see how they plan to accomplish this task.

We sat down with NJ MED’s CEO/ Founder, Mr. Albert Mitchell II, last January before the pandemic and asked him “Why do you think a small organization like yours can eliminate the impossible task of global illiteracy?

He said, “Illiteracy is a condition, not a disability. If we can provide the tools to improve the condition, then we can solve the problem.” Our only obstacle is our ability to think we cannot accomplish the impossible. Since we started NJ MED, we sought out the impossible and try to bend it to our will.”

We asked him, “What are the fundamental planks of your platform? He sat back in his chair, rocking, and said it with a cool and assured reply, ‘It’s not up to us. It’s up to the people that it effects. We cannot change what that does not want to change. We can only suggest what is there.”

Will, what does that mean?

“It means things around here do not look so good are you happy about that? Do you want to find a better way to live? It’s up to you.”

So it is a choice you tell them is the problem?

No, it’s a lack of wanting too. You want this, you want that, but if you do nothing, but want and want, and do nothing about it. That is what you get, nothing.

He said, “Winners go for it. They test their limits. They fight their fears and doubts and become what they want, what they need to have! So our message or platform is to wake up, team up and build power. Become a force, be energized. Make the impossible possible you can live with that.’

That sounds good in theory, but how do I a powerless person build up that much power to force change?

Mr. Mitchell said, “You need help. You need to find and work with people that have those resources to pull you forward. That is why we created the World Top 20 Project.

What is the World Top 20 Project?

He told me the project is broken down into three parts. All set-up to link with organizations and governments that are participating in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals Initiative.

The purpose of this initiative is to ask countries to achieve 17 economic and social improvement goals by the year 2030. (Here is a link to those targeted goals and the indicators to measure their success).

Mr. Mitchell said their efforts and the World Top 20 Project focus is on Goal number four mission to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

He said, he spoke with UN Officials and asked them their biggest problem to achieving this target goal. They said there were over 260 million children out of school around the world and some 750 million adults already illiterate, and two-thirds of these are women. If nothing is done by 2030, many countries in Africa and Asia will face severe poverty and death. Because they are not able to create a workforce to sustain a family or economic development growth.

Mr. Mitchell said he asked where the data they were referencing this information from. The UN response was, each country keeps its data and shares it with the international body. However, most African and Asian country data is unavailable or has not been updated for some time.

Mr. Mitchell said he asked them if this was true, how do you know the size of the problem. He said the UN response was most of these figures are estimates. That’s when, he said, that is your biggest problem. You do not have accurate data. So there would be no way to measure how successful you are if you do not have a real established reference point.

That’s when, he proposed developing a project that can measure the real size of the problem, how to track progress annually, and measure the outcome of each target goal. Thus, NJ MED launched the World Top 20 Project to answer those questions.

The World Top Project’s 3 Stages are below:

  1. Create an Open Database to rank nations education systems
  2. Find Missing Education Data from each country
  3. Process and monitor the data annually until 2030

Global Education Movement – 5 National Education Goals

After listening to Mr. Mitchell talk about why they created a project to address the world illiteracy problem. We wanted more details on how it works. Here are the questions. We had, and here are his answers to those questions.

The first questions put to him were on general policy matters.

In your opinion, what is the method by which there is a disparity in a continent like Africa and Asia in education?

Political leadership: Most African nations rely on selling their goods. Not producing an economy to be self-sufficient. Because of poor trade agreements with the western continents, they are operating on the next deal mentality. Not building but keeping themselves in power is their focus.

Countries in Asia, however, the successful ones, practice and operate within a stable government. Their leadership and trade agreements are strong which ensures they can build an education system to continue their growth.

So how do you plan to close such a leadership gap for nations in Africa?

Ego: We want nations in Africa and around the world to prove themselves. We want them to feel they can accomplish anything if they work together. That is why we set goals for each nation to achieve by 2030.

What type of goals, and how did you set these goals?

He said, “Goals, which benefit everyone! From the largest cities to the smallest village, these are goals you can feel and touch. It is up to the leadership of the people to accomplish them. Plus, it’s a unifying approach to support each other, cheering for everyone to do their best.

The goals we set for each country. Where based on their current education data, their economic strengths, and their social environments. We then looked at their youth population size and projected how close they could come to accomplish the goals based on the three other variables.

Have any government agreed to your goals?

Not with us, but with United Nations SDG Initiative. If you look at the root of most of those Goals in the SDG, without a strong education system most of them will not be sustainable.

How has joined your project?

We have students, parents, teachers, educators, and other NGOs in 147 countries forming volunteer National Teams to bring awareness to their nation’s five education goals for 2030.

To do actually what?

Create National pride for their country. If you look at it, it does the same thing sports national teams do. They represent their country to try to bring happiness and accomplishment to its people. Our approach is the same but more meaningful. It helps everybody become better people.

Who is funding this project?

That is a local matter. We have support from the Google AD grant program and Pro Bono organizations working with us to organize the project. However, at the local levels, each national team will conduct its fundraising operations.

What type of organizational support is your NJ MED providing?

We have created a Facebook Group to help set-up National Teams. We provide weekly group assignments to build their message and set-up programs to help them get education data not available to the UN and other education institutions.

Getting Results

We then asked him how will you measure the success of his project. Will it be based on meeting SDG 4 target goals or countries reaching the five educational goals your project set.

How can we measure the success of your project?

Our project goals are the same as the UN. We want to improve the quality of education for students around the world. Our five goals address that.

We, however, feel it is vital that the stakeholders play a part. These stakeholders are student’s parents, teachers, and college students looking for answers to their future. Schools and universities will be responsible for providing education improvement, which will require school leaders and government support to invest more resources.

So our project success will be judged if we can bring all these stakeholders together to reach their educational goals by 2030.

You mentioned your project wants to improve five educational levels. How does that address the global illiteracy issue it seems the UN SDG 4 wants to focus on?

It helps to know your alphabet and how to count went you enter formal schooling. Therefore, it’s crucial to manage these skills to speed up your learning by the age of 5.

The points of making sure all children between the ages of 6 to 12 have access to a structured environment to process developmental skills. Sets a long term effect on their ability to become a productive adult.

As children reach the teen years of 14 to 18, social norms are developed that encourage them to use better decision-making skills as they enter adulthood. If they choose to advance those skills. Through higher education society benefits from a more well-rounded adult.

Therefore, our goals need for students to function literate at all five stages, and again none of this can be achieved if the stakeholders do not work together.

How can you make sure these stakeholders can or will work together?

Ah, it’s a project. We hope our approach works. Our theory is sound. The expected desire outcome for all participants is fulfillment and success.

So what makes you so sure it will work?

Again it is based on you. Do you want to be successful? Do you want your success to last forever? You can have this if this happens. Join us to make it happen.

Make what happen?

Build a self-conscious world of respect for yourself and your fellow man, a world where everyone is striving to be their best. Everyone living in a positive mindset.

How are you going to make this happen?

With three International Campaigns, one focus on patriotism – Everyone Behind the Flag, to accomplish the five educational goals for 2030. The second – Futbol and Books, to eliminate child illiteracy, working with the world’s largest sports community football (soccer). The third campaign – Adopt A Country, works with universities that are participating in the UN SDG to help process the Project’s database of nations.

It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this?

We have, and it is all ready to go.

How can someone find out more about your project and join if they want to help?

They can join their countries National Team by signing up at the project’s Facebook Group. Then starts posting their nation’s educational goals for 2030 on their social media accounts and participate with their National Team in seven international competitions representing their country.

Mr. Mitchell, we would like to thank you for your time and wish you great success with your project?

Thank you for helping us share our message with the world.

Interview conducted by Neely Fuller, a freelance writer for Medium, Vocal, and NJ MED

Educational Goals

0

World Top 20 Project’s Education Rankings: Breaks Down 2020

 

In a year where the world changed, a new country climbed atop the education landscape. While in the classroom, where the action counts. Getting students into them was the biggest challenge in 2020.

Countries that lack the 21st century technology infrastructure were doomed at the start. In continents like Africa, where 80 percent of the children had no access to the Internet, to 69% in Asia, face the cold reality they are second-class citizens.

The World Top 20 Project lives in reality and accepts one-fifth of children have no access to schools. Not happy about the situation, the project knows four is larger than one. So, finding a solution to improve the quality of the lives of all children that do have, has brought new concerns.

As usual, the World Top 20 Projects annual Education Rankings list over 200 nations’ strengths and weaknesses, and shows how it affects the economic and social conditions of countries.

What makes the Education Rankings unique is the goal. That goal has brought a challenge to every nation to achieve five educational goals by 2030.

From Early childhood enrollment rates for 3 to 5-year-old. To oversee children 6 to 11 complete Primary education. To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 missions for 12 to 14-year-old children to attend and complete lower secondary education levels.

The Project rankings also focus on fifteen to eighteen-year girls and boys completing twelve years of schooling to help to prepare them for early adulthood. With the advanced, level of higher education in achieving a College Graduation degree at the top level of education.

Our mission is to bring order and support to every child, no manner where they live.

Below you will find more information about the World Top 20 Project 2020 Education Rankings.

Database Tiers Process

Tiers breaks down the countries in the World Top 20 Project educational database rankings. The rankings are used to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 Initiative.

The focus is to help nations achieve the SDG 4 education mission – to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

SDG 4 has ten target areas and 11 indicators to measure its success. To help keep this simple, the World Top 20 Project sets five educational goals for each nation to reach by 2030, which will help them capture all ten targets and match all 11 indicators.

Tier 1: Focus on the top 20 nation’s progress and digression in improving education in their country. It also looks at how this is affecting their economic growth and impacts their social conditions.

The Top 20 Countries Ranked in 2020 are:

1. Denmark– Last Year Rank: 3 – Becomes the second country ranked number one in the World Top 20 Project international database. Denmark captures this year’s spot by being one of the most progressive countries attacking the COVID 19 pandemic. While other countries panicked, Denmark leaders decided to take a more measured approach to protect their school staff and provide education services to their students.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Access to the Internet

2. Netherlands-Last Year Rank: 28 – This was a shocker, the Netherlands rose 26 spots to become number two. Similar to Denmark, the Netherlands school leadership made it possible for students to attend school with little disruption.
Progress: School Safe Levels; Digress: NI,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

3. Germany– Last Year Rank: 23 – Germany ranks number three. Not to say their education system is lacking, but to rise 20 spots from last year is eye-opening. As the two countries rated above them, their governments were aggressive in addressing the pandemic. Making sure their country suffers as little as possible in the world crisis.
Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Secondary School Completion Rate, Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

4. Ireland– Last Year Rank: 20 – Moves into the top 10 education ranking. Ireland is a country that is, overshadow by the rest of the world, yet in education, they remain one of the best.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, Strengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: Poverty Level

5. Sweden– Last Year Rank: 7 – Sweden remains in the top 10 and moves into the top five. Every year Sweden proves to have one of the world’s best education systems.
Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: High School Graduation Rate,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

6. Finland– Last Year Rank: 1 – Finland falls to number six. After being ranked the best for the first two years of the World Top 20 Project education rankings. Always classified as the perfect model in education, they may need a reboot in 2021.
Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate;
Strengths: Poverty Level, Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate

7. South Korea– Last Year Rank: 2 – In a year went anything could go wrong, South Korea education system ranking dropped five spots. This may be a small setback for a big comeback.
Progress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Free Schools,
Strengths: Crime Rate, Weaknesses: Poverty Levels

8. Slovenia– Last Year Rank: 10 – Remains a top 10 nation in education, according to the World Top 20 Project rankings. Slovenia is one of those sleeper countries that appears out of nowhere, but if you check the data, they belong.
Progress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Out of School Children,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: National Debt

9. France– Last Year Rank: 24 – France is another surprise member of the World Top 20 Project education rankings. France has a very high-level of immigrants to educate. So no one expects them to rank as one of the best countries in educating their population. They have found a way to get the job done. Well done.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: National Debt

10. Belgium– Last Year Rank: 21 – Belgium is another country that handled the COVID 19 crisis with strong government leadership. Moving up 11 places to make the top 10.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: National Debt

11. Australia– Last Year Rank: 27 – Australia climbs into the World Top 20 Project rankings to number 11. Australia is a progressive country, always looking for ways to improve its status in the world. It seems they have a plan, and it is working – Improve education in their country. SDG 4 approved.
Progress: Academic Levels – Test Scores; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

12. Iceland– Last Year Rank: 30 – Iceland moved from number 30 to number 12 in this year’s education rankings. Like their Scandinavian brothers, they were able to provide education services to their students. As many countries struggled to do in 2020.
Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI,
Strengths: Poverty Levels, Weaknesses: National Debt

13. Japan– Last Year Rank: 13 – Japan one of Asia’s most powerful countries remains as number 13 in the World Top 20 Project education rankings. Japan is viewed as one of the world’s powerhouse in the World Top 20 Project. To achieve all its targeted five-education goals for 2030.
Progress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio,
Strengths: Crime Rate, Weaknesses: National Debt

14. United Kingdom– Last Year Rank 5 – The UK fell nine places in this year’s ranking. While in other international education ranking polls, they are picked number one. Ridiculous!
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

15. Norway– Last Year Rank: 9 – Norway falls out of the top 10 this year. A little surprising, since they do well in all areas of education. This was a strange year, and this ranking is too.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: NI,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: NI

16. Canada– Last Year Rank: 32 – Canada is another country that withstood COVID 19 and delivered services to its students. The only drawback to the Canadian education system is missing international data to accurately establish their status as one of the best.
Progress: Academic Levels – Test Scores; Digress: NI,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: National Debit

17. Spain– Last Year Rank: 18 – Spain falls one spot from last year’s rankings. With all the divide in the country between Spain and Catalonia, they remain together in improving education and are jointly committed to achieving the UN’s SDG 4 objectives.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: National Debt

18. Israel– Last Year Rank: 6 – Israel fell out of the top 10 for the first time this year. COVID 19 affected them as it did to so many other countries. Israel will try to bounce back in 2021 and return to the top half of the World’s Top 20 rankings.
Progress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, Strengths: NI, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

19. Russia– Last Year Rank: 12– Just like everyone else, Russia took a hit from COVID 19. As it disrupted economics and caused mass confusion, countries were put to the test. Russia has always landed on its feet and remained as one of the world’s best-educated countries in 2020.
Progress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio,
Strengths: National Debt, Weaknesses: Crime Rate

20. Poland– Last Year Rank: 14 – Poland continues to shine in quest of achieving SDG 4 educational standards. Finishing a little lower than last year, Poland remains a strong and focused country in the new 21st – century knowledge-based marketplace.
Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores,
Strengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels, Weaknesses: Poverty Level

*NI= No Information

Areas of Strengths and Weaknesses in Education

Tier 2: Ranks countries 21 through 40, whose progress is tracked from last year. The key areas of interest were, their strengthen indicators, and where they need to improve education standards.

Most countries strength where their students to teacher ratio. The area most struggled with was early childhood education. Showing more government spending on education was used to improve technology in schools.

21. Hong KongProgress: College Graduation Rate; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 22. SingaporeProgress: Academic Levels -Test Scores; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 23. PortugalProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 24. LithuaniaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 25. EstoniaProgress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Academic Levels -Test Scores, 26. New ZealandProgress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: NI, 27. SwitzerlandProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 28. HungaryProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: College Graduation Rate, 29. United StatesProgress: Free Schools; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 30.TaiwanProgress: Academic Levels – Test Scores; Digress: NI, 31. LatviaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 32. GreeceProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 33. Czech RepublicProgress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 34. AustriaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 35. ItalyProgress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 36. ChinaProgress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 37. TurkeyProgress: NI; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 38. ArgentinaProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 39. MexicoProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 40. ChileProgress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores

Tier 3: Focuses on countries ranked 41 to 60. A lack of education data was available from most of these countries. Which shows a poor communication structure of governments to their local levels. From the countries, we were able to find data. A majority of them have developed a good student to teacher ratio. Indicating a desire to improve education for their country and students, but a large disconnect from school leadership for creating a self-sufficient education system.

41. SlovakiaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 42. LuxembourgProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 43. KazakhstanProgress: High School Graduation Rate; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 44. Costa Rica-Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 44. Saudi ArabiaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 46. GrenadaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 47. BruneiProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 48. San MarinoProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 49. FijiProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 50. SamoaProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 51. SeychellesProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 52. MongoliaProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 53. VietnamProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 54. EcuadorProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 55. MaltaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 56. NepalProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 57. BelarusProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 58. OmanProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 59. Saint Kitts and NevisProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 60. MaldivesProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI

Tier 4: Shows the results from countries ranked 61 to 80. Here a lack of education data available means the government again is failing their students. Without, data, much-needed data, to plan growth or investment, these countries’ economic and social development is doomed to fail. The poor relationship between these government leaders in education is the main reason for their problems.

61. Sri LankaProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 62. Macau (PRC)Progress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Academic Levels – Test Scores, 63. UzbekistanProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 64. KyrgyzstanProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate, 65. Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 66. AlbaniaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 67. IndonesiaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 68. SerbiaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 69. Timor-LesteProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 70. GeorgiaProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 71. PhilippinesProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 72. KiribatiProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 73. AlgeriaProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 74. ColombiaProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 75. Antigua and BarbudaProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 76. CroatiaProgress: Early Childhood Enrollment Rate; Digress: NI, 77. PeruProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 78. MauritiusProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 79. GibraltarProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 80. MontenegroProgress: NI; Digress: NI

Tier 5: Represent countries ranked 81 through 100. Points to countries where investment in education sets to limit the growth potential of its people. More teachers are needed; more schools need to be modernized. Life has to be put back into communities and villages. This is where the United Nations SDG 4 mission will be tested the most.

81. IranProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 82. BahrainProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: Secondary School Completion Rate, 83. LiechtensteinProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 84. EgyptProgress: NI; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 85. BelizeProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 86. AzerbaijanProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 87. TajikistanProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 88. BhutanProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 89. Malaysia– Progress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 90. KenyaProgress: Primary School Completion Rate; Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 91. QatarProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 92. NauruProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate: Digress: Students to Teacher Ratio, 93. KuwaitProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 94. DominicaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 95. BoliviaProgress: Secondary School Completion Rate; Digress: NI, 96. Dominican RepublicProgress: NI; Digress: High School Graduation Rate, 97. Saint LuciaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 98. ArmeniaProgress: NI; Digress: NI, 99. RomaniaProgress: Students to Teacher Ratio; Digress: NI, 100. British Virgin Islands (UK)Progress: NI; Digress: NI

Economic and Social Impact of Education

 

Tier 6 through Tier 10 will explore the strengths and weaknesses of countries ranked below 100. Countries ranked 101 to 120 results are below.

Tier 6: You can see most of these countries’ weaknesses stems from the social condition of adult illiteracy. The strengths are generated from a low–wage labor force. That demonstrates the lack of education is affecting both the economic and social growth of the population.

101. IndiaStrengths: Unemployment Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 102. LaosStrengths: Unemployment Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 103. UruguayStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Access to Internet, 104. TunisiaStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 105. EswatiniStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 106. GhanaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 107. ThailandStrengths: Unemployment Rate; Weaknesses: Access to Internet, 108. MoldovaStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 109. Burma (Myanmar)Strengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels,110. North KoreaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 111. VenezuelaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Crime Rate, 112. El SalvadorStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Crime Rate, 113. MoroccoStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 114. South AfricaStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Crime Rate, 115. Jamaica– Strengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: National Debt, 116. PanamaStrengths: Unemployment Rate; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 117. Solomon IslandsStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 118. Cape VerdeStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: National Debt, 119. Sao Tome and PrincipeStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 120. CambodiaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels

Tier 7: Ranks countries 121 to 140, shows the strengths of these countries are in workforce development, but, again offering low wage-paying jobs. The next strengths indicator is a low National Debt, which signifies these nations have poor trade agreements.

It may be because most of these countries’ weaknesses are in adult literacy, which points to lower-skilled jobs and early entry into the workforce. Again demonstrating the lack of a high quality education system drags down a society.

121. TogoStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 122. BangladeshStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 123. Papua New GuineaStrengths: Unemployment Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 124. TuvaluStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 125. Sierra LeoneStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 126. GuatemalaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 127. JordanStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: National Debt, 128. SurinameStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 129. LesothoStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 130.BeninStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 131. YemenStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 132. HondurasStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Crime Rate, 133. RwandaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 134. BulgariaStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 135. Cote d’IvoireStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 136. PakistanStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 137. DjiboutiStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 138. SudanStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 139, MauritaniaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 140. BarbadosStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Poverty Level

Tier 8: Ranks countries 141 to 160, the curse of illiteracy shows up again; where most of these countries have a high rate of adults that have a hard time reading, writing, or counting.

Without those life-skills, it is impossible to sustain a healthier way to live or grow a family. Nevertheless, if a heart beats people will try to survive so they go to work. They live day, by day, which insuring these countries will have a vibrant and ready-to- go workforce as their strengths.

141. CameroonStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Child Mortality Rate, 142. EritreaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 143. Burkina FasoStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 144. CubaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: NI, 145. BrazilStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: National Debt, 146. AfghanistanStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 147. NigerStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 148. MadagascarStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Access to Electricity, 149. Tanzania– Strengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 150. LiberiaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 151. BurundiStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level,152. ComorosStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 153. Marshall IslandsStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 154. SenegalStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 155. MaliStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 156. UgandaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 157. BahamasStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: National Debt, 158. GambiaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 159. MozambiqueStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: National Debt, 160. ChadStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels

Tier 9: Ranks countries 161 to 180, is a group of nations that shows an imbalance of government leadership.

Most of these countries’ strengths are their natural wealth. Their weaknesses are their abilities to reach their whole country. Maybe, it’s greed that separates them from trusting one another or poor communication skills due to a lack of educational development.

161. Central African RepublicStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 162. Guinea,- Strengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 163. CyprusStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: National Debt, 164. United Arab EmiratesStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 165. Aruba (Neth.)Strengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 166. UkraineStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Nation Debt, 167. Republic of MacedoniaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 168. Niue (NZ)Strengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 169. TurkmenistanStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Child Mortality Rate, 170. Trinidad and TobagoStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Crime Rate, 171. GuyanaStrengths: Access to Clean Water; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate,172. Puerto Rico (US)Strengths: Nation Average Age 40; Weaknesses: Work Force Participation, 173. PalauStrengths: Access to Clean Water; Weaknesses: Child Mortality Rate, 174. LebanonStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: National Debt, 175. Bosnia and HerzegovinaStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate,176. MalawiStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 177. NamibiaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Unemployment Rate, 178. VanuatuStrengths: Crime Rate; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 179. EthiopiaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 180. ParaguayStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level

Tier 10: Ranks countries 181 to 203 unlike the countries in tier 9, half of these countries children grow up in war-torn nations. An explosion is a culture; going to school is a James Bond movie. So why send my child to school?

Poverty levels, high child mortality rates, and unclean living conditions separate these countries from the rest of the world. Went will the rest of the world care?

181. PalestineStrengths: Adult Illiteracy Levels; Weaknesses: Nation Average Age 20, 182. TongaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, 183. Bermuda (UK)Strengths: Child Mortality Rate; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 184. Republic of the CongoStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 185. BotswanaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 186. Equatorial GuineaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Child Mortality Rate, LibyaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 188. IraqStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 189. NicaraguaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level,190. Federated States of MicronesiaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, NigeriaStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Level, ZimbabweStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Access to Electricity,193. HaitiStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 194. GabonStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 195. Guinea-BissauStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 196. AngolaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Nation Average Age 16, 197. SyriaStrengths: Access to Electricity; Weaknesses: Poverty Level, 198. ZambiaStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 199. KosovoStrengths: National Debt; Weaknesses: Work Force Participation, 200. Democratic Republic of the CongoStrengths: Work Force Participation; Weaknesses: National Debt, 201. AndorraStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: NI, South SudanStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Adult Illiteracy Levels, 203. SomaliaStrengths: NI; Weaknesses: Child Mortality Rate

2020 is gone. It left a mark on history. Where do we go from here? What countries will survive and thrive? The right answer is those who can educate their next generation and those who cannot.

Help us Change the World. A Smarter World…A Greater World: the World Top 20 Project

Learn How Here

The 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW: The New World Order

0

The Rich got richer, the poor got poorer.

The year 2020 could not have been written any better by a great science fiction Arthur of horror. The mass terror, the moment went it could all end. The clock is ticking, your air supply is fading, and your life light is going to end, it’s getting darker, and darker. This is it. Your life lights go out in 2020!

What happen? Why is this happening to me? Will life ever be the same? Has the freedom of choice been taken away from me? If so, who has done this?

What is going to happen to my children?

How can anyone make sense of this all? This is crazy.

A plague, I say, a man made pandemic that will whip us all out, O my goodness.

The Time to ponder

How this happens, and why this happen? What will the future hold? What will we do and what will 2021 look like and beyond is yet to be determined. 2020 was a year like no other. Starting with

January

On January 21, the US announced its first case of the coronavirus that has swept China. So far, China has reported more than 300 cases and 9 deaths. The US citizen recently traveled from China, and has been treated at a hospital in Seattle. On January 24, a second case was confirmed in the US. The woman was traveling back to Chicago from China. The US is considering evacuating other citizens in Wuhan.

February

On February 5, President Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. One article was abuse of power and the other was obstruction of Congress. President Trump is still considered impeached by the House, but acquitted by the Senate. On February 8, President Trump fired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified against him at the trial, for “insubordination.”

March

On March 4, Japan announced it will quarantine visitors from China and South Korea due to the Coronavirus. The visit of China’s president has also been delayed, but Japan says the Olympics are still on track. That same day, Australia banned visitors from South Korea in an attempt to curb Coronavirus. On March 5, Italy announced it will shut down all schools for a few weeks to try and contain the Coronavirus. All professional sporting events will have no fans in the stadium for the next month. So far, 107 people have died from the Coronavirus in Italy. Later, Iran announced it will temporarily free 54,000 prisoners in an attempt to curb the issue. As of March 6, the total number of Coronavirus cases worldwide topped 100,000

Is this all a Conspiracy caused by the US Democratic party and world leaders to remove President Donald Trump and his new way of leadership led by the Russian? Is this all a master plan to use the seasonal death that annually kills 100,000 Americans – mostly older adults by the flu, an opportunity, to regain control?

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the 2019-2020 season involved two waves of activity and moderate severity with an estimated 38 million people falling ill, 18 million visiting a health care provider, 400,000 patients hospitalized and 22,000 lives lost. That being said, case counts do tend to run higher due to the fact that not everybody gets diagnosed for flu and cases/deaths are invariably missing from official totals.”

Could this all be – “Up to 650 000 people die of respiratory diseases linked to seasonal flu each year.

Have we entered into the twilight zone?

What goes up must come down

The health care industry is overwhelmed with more patients in the history of mankind. Madness has hit the streets, stay inside, no one is safe.

It’s time to revaluate.

April

April 30, Eurozone economy shrinks at -3.8% between Jan and Mar 2020, the fastest rate on record with Euro Bank President Christine Lagarde warning the 2nd quarter will be even worse

May

On May 26, hundreds of people in Minneapolis gathered at the intersection where George Floyd died. Floyd was being arrested after police were called for a potential forgery in progress. During the arrest, an officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, not moving it after Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd died later at the hospital. Four officers have been fired due to the incident. Protesters have gathered around Minneapolis, highlighting the #blacklivesmatter movement. By May 31, protests erupted in cities all around America. Curfews have been placed in cities and the National Guard has been deployed, but protests have continued. Various peaceful protests have led to clashes with the police, resulting in riots and looting. Various buildings have been caught on fire, as well. On May 30, in Detroit’s protest, an unknown suspect shot at the crowd, killing a 21-year-old male protester.

June

June 29, New Security Law Gives China Sweeping Powers Over Hong Kong. The law, approved in Beijing with speed and secrecy and signed off by Xi Jinping, will tighten the Communist Party’s grip on Hong Kong after last year’s protests.

Can You See A Pattern?

The COVID 19 pandemic started the new year in China, now six months in China is moving into Hong Kong to end democracy. Is China the new leader? Has the Russian strong arm been replaced? Stay tune there is more to come.

July

The US economy posts the largest quarterly fall on record with GDP down 9.5% for the 3 months to June 30. Follow the money trail. The last time this happen was in 1958, amid a depression that coincided with a devastating pandemic known as the “Asian flu.”

August

U.S. stocks hit record high, ending shortest bear market in history. Defying the coronavirus pandemic’s Savvy investors have been showered with profits, while millions of people without money to invest or even pay rent in the months ahead have been left out. Only about half of Americans own stocks, mainly through retirement accounts, according to the Federal Reserve.

September

Schools reopen around the World Despite Coronavirus Spread. But, teachers are refusing to go.

“I cannot risk bringing the virus home to my own family, and I would not be able to live with myself if I unknowingly passed the virus on to you or your families.

October

Talk about how the rich got richer. Billionaires’ wealth rises to $10.2 trillion amid COVID crisis. Billionaire wealth equates to a fortune almost impossible to spend over multiple lifetimes of absolute luxury. At the same time, more than 40 million Americans filed for unemployment. With tens of millions of Americans out of a paycheck and the stock market plummeting by 37% in March, how is it that the rich have continued getting richer?

Wealth concentration now is as high as in 1905, this is something billionaires are concerned about. The problem is the power of interest on interest – that makes big money bigger and, the question is to what extent is that sustainable and at what point will society intervene and strike back?”

The fact that billionaire wealth had increased so much at a time when hundreds of millions of people around the world are struggling could lead to public and political anger. “Is there a risk they may be singled out by society? Yes,” he said. “Are they aware of it? Yes.”

The super-rich were able to benefit from the crisis because they had “the stomach” to buy more company shares when equity markets around the world were crashing. Global stock markets have since rebounded making up much of the losses. The shares in some technology companies – which are often owned by billionaires – have risen very sharply.

November

Saw the end of the Donald Trump empire fall. President Trump was unseated by long-time wannabe king of the castle, Joe Biden. However, never giving in to the truth, Mr. Trump refused to go. Say it ain’t so Joe.

Biden won the highest voter turnout in modern history. And that is saying something, in a pandemic. Where we go from here is less Russia and more China.

December

COVID claim over 1.8 million lives in 2020. What a year. The only saving Grace is, if you are reading this post, YOU SURVIVED 2020

So to the rich, to China, and to whomever it concerns, in regard to writing this horror story. We the people will never die. Because, we believe in a dream and a dream can never die.

The Incredible South Korean Education System

0

South Korea’s commitment to invest in education pays off

South Korea performance in education in the last four years has been masterful in execution. Their results in standardized testing and their student’s ability to advance towards college graduation is the model over 200 nations, are chasing to be the best in education.

In NJ MED’s 2017, World Top 20 Education Poll that ranks the world’s best education systems, South Korea’s captured, the number one spot for the fourth consecutive year. Even, with Japan closing the gap by seven points, it looks like South Korea will still be number one in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

{ South Korea Current Education System }

The only hope other nations can catch-up or even keep up, is by improving their early childhood education system. With enrollments, teaching quality, and parent involvement. With that, said, what if South Korea, also improves their early-childhood education system?

South Korea May Be the Best, But

Heavy is the crown who wears it.

With all the success South Korean students have achieved, some of the country’s children suffer from high rates of depression and mental fatigue. That lead to emotional breakdowns that lead to irrational thoughts that leads to suicide.

Most of the critics of the South Korean teaching method and objectives say they are pushing children and their parents too hard to passing standardized test, rather than teaching students to develop normally as adolescents.

This is something the South Korean government must take very seriously. However, they feel a discipline focus is part of their cultural pride, and something that has strengthened the nation, not weakened it.

We hope, they can come to a common ground to help to ensure every child develops in a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment.

2017 World Top 20 Education Poll Final Rankings

In 2017, four new countries joined the World Top 20 Education Final Rankings – Estonia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Italy. Replacing 2016 ranked countries – Germany, Sweden, France, and Hungary.

Hong Kong and Israel moved into the Top 10, and China went from ninth in 2016 to fifth in 2017. The United States fell from number seven in 2016 to sixteen, with Russia remaining as the only non-Asian country in the Top 5.

Here is the breakdown of the 2017 Top 20 World Ranked Education Systems:

Number 20: Italy makes their first Top 20 finish in the World Top 20 rankings. This year Italy’s education system ranked top 10 at two academic levels – Early Childhood Enrollment and High School graduation rates. Italy also ranked number 19th in the third quarter poll.

Number 19: Taiwan also makes their first appearance in the World Top 20 Education Poll final rankings. Taiwan ranked top 20 in three educational levels – Secondary, High School and College. They ranked as high as number thirteen in the third quarter poll.

Number 18: New Zealand makes their third top 20 finish in the World Top 20 Poll. New Zealand’s education system ranked top 15 at two academic levels – Early Childhood Enrollment and High School graduation rates. They ranked has high as number 8 in the third quarter poll.

Number 17: Estonia’s education system makes their first top 20 finish in the World Top 20 Education Poll, since 2013. In 2017, Estonia finished top 15 in two education levels – Early Childhood Enrollment and High School graduation rates. Estonia ranked in all fourth quarters of this year’s rankings and finished at their projected position from 2017, first quarter poll.

Number 16: United States education system fell nine positions from last year’s top 10 finish. The US ranked top 15 in three education levels – Primary, Secondary, and College. After, finishing number one in the second quarter rankings in 2017, the US dropped out of the top 20 rankings in the third quarter and returned to finish four positions higher than their first quarter projected ranking.

Number 15: Norway ranked top 20 in three educational levels – Early Childhood Enrollments, Primary, and College Graduation Rates – in 2017. In the first quarter poll rankings, Norway projected to finish number 6 at the end of the year. Nevertheless, Norway’s education system makes their fourth appearances as one of the world’s 20 best-educated countries.

Number 14: Ireland education system finishes as one of the best in NJ MED’s World Top 20 Education Poll for the fifth time. Ireland rated in 3 top 20 education levels – Primary, Secondary and College Graduation Rates. Ireland making the 2017 final poll ranking, is somewhat shocking, after not being rated all year.

Number 13: Canada dropped one spot from its 2016 ranking. Making it two straight years, Canada has failed to make the top 10. However, Canada continues to do well in three educational levels – Primary, High School, and College.

Number 12: Slovenia moves up six places from it 2016 finish. Slovenia makes their third appearances in the World Top 20 Final Poll Rankings. Slovenia also ranked in the top 20 in four education levels – Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, and High School graduation rates –in 2017.

Number 11: The Netherlands education system finishes number eleven for the second straight year. The Netherlands ranked top 20 in all five levels of NJ MED’s education Poll – Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, High School and College. The Netherlands also was ranked in all four quarters of the poll and finished their projected 2017 first quarter ranked position number 11.

Number 10: Israel’s education system returned to the Top 10 in 2017. After, Israel ranked in four of the five of the World Top 20 Education Poll’s educational levels – Early Childhood, Secondary, High School, and College.

Number 9: Denmark’s education system ranked in the top 10 in all four quarters of the 2017 World Top 20 Poll. This makes Denmark’s fifth consecutive year in finishing in the top 20, and ranked top 20 in 4 education levels – Early Childhood, Primary, High School, and College.

Number 8: Finland’s education system in most people’s opinion is the world’s best. However, Finland never has been able to capture NJ MED’s World Top 20 Education Poll’s final number one spot. Finland’s education system from the outside looks strong, evident by NJ MED projected Finland to finish number one in 2017. Yet, Finland never ranked higher than number five in the year-end rankings. The 2017 final poll continues to show Finland’s early childhood education system does not rank internationally.

Number 7: Singapore’s strong standardized test scores for Primary and Secondary levels keeps them in the top half of the World Top 20 Education Poll. Yet, this is Singapore’s lowest finish in five years.

Number 6: United Kingdom’s education system ranked six for the second year in the row. The UK ranked top 10 in four education levels in 2017. Number one in Early Childhood enrollment, number nine in Primary and number ten in Secondary test score levels, and finished number 7 in college student’s graduation rates.

Number 5: China’s education system finished in the top five of the World Top 20 Education Poll, for the first time in 2017. China ranked top 20 in four education levels – Primary, Secondary, High School, and College.

Number 4: Hong Kong moved up 10 spots from last year’s ranking of the world’s best education systems. Hong Kong also finished top 20 in four of the World Top 20 Education Poll’s academic levels – Primary, Secondary, High School, and College.

Number 3: Russia was the only non-Asian nation to finish in the World Top 20 Poll’s top five. Russia also was one of only four countries (Netherlands, Japan, and South Korea) to finish top 20 in all five educational levels of the World Top 20 Education Poll – Early Childhood Enrollments, Primary and Secondary academic scores, and both High School and College graduation rates.

Number 2: Japan’s education system finished number two for the fourth year in a row, after finishing number one in NJ MED’s first World Top 20 Education Poll. Japan’s education system ranked in the top five in four levels – Primary, Secondary, High School and College, but only reached number 17 in Early Childhood education enrollment.

Number 1: South Korea is declared the best-educated country in 2017. Making it four years in a row. South Korea’s education system also ranked top fifth teen in all five-education levels of the World Top 20 Education Poll. With all the success, South Korea’s education system achieves, it still does not get the recognition it deserves. The fact, NJ MED projected South Korea would not finish number one in 2017, shows South Korea’s domination in education is real.

Expect A Big Shake-Up in 2018

In 2018, NJ MED will publish its first draft World Education Data Base of 265 nations. So, the nations who rank well in one of the five educational levels will push some of this year’s top 20 countries out.

The 2018 World Education Data Base will also allow everyone to see, where each country ranks in- Africa, Asia, the Oceania, Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean’s.

But for now, congratulations to South Korea, the best of the best.