Switzerland Has the World's Best Educational System

Under my revised criteria (justified in my most recent three posts, which built on work I began last summer), Switzerland has the world's best educational system, the model I would use as a basis for reforming America's. Looked at in light of the six criteria I am now using for making such estimates, it has good (though not outstanding) average attainment, with the average child just starting school this year projected to be a degree holder 15-16 years from now (this trend is true of many countries in the world, and Switzerland is only in the top 25 or so of all educational jurisdictions in average attainment); it has above average PISA scores, so it is likely that most Swiss students are making credible progress during their years in school; its special needs students are the most likely to be employed of any jurisdiction's I've found; it has the highest ranked university outside of the English-speaking world in ETH Zurich, with free university education for all Swiss Matura holders in a higher education system highly attractive to non-Swiss students; employers rank it second only to Finland when it comes to providing a labour pool appropriate for a highly competitive economy; and it has a solid record in providing for the general well-being of children growing up in the country.

While it is far from the only educational system the United States might learn from -- Canada and Australia also look very competitive under this analysis -- Switzerland provides an excellent model for any analysts looking for reform lessons from abroad, and that is why its omission from study by the Center on International Education Benchmarking, which appropriately identifies most other leading systems and is such a promising venture in other respects, is a surprising omission that we can only hope will be rectified.