in hong kong. here in asia, educational systems in japan, south korea and singapore are rated among the world s best. students perform well on standardized tests, attendance rates are very high and higher education is also very common. why? what is the secret of this success? all three places have highly competitive systems that value long hours of study and hard work. and parents very often sign their children up for cram schools or private tutoring. in japan, the average family pays about $2,000 for a middle school-aged child every year on education. singapore doesn t shy away from tracking students. that s a statewide primary school exam that determines what level middle school kids go to next. though societies also place a heavy emphasis on education, the government is closely involved in education policy and