What data? Why is that everytime people talk about education across the world, it sounds like ALL American students are stupid & lazy while ALL Foreign students are super geniuses. Wake up man, in all countries the majority of people are stupid & lazy. Yes this country is more spoiled due to the higher standard of living. But there are many many American students that bust their ass and are quite gifted. They are Asian, Caucasian, Indian, Latino & Black. But they are American, as in born here, raised here. I can just think back of my high school, a public school that was superior to most private schools due to the competitiveness of the students. The top 10% of the class was all American.
Americans stupid and lazy? Weeeeeeeeeelll.... Definitely not lazy. We are a nation of workaholics. We work more hours per year than most anyone. Here are some interesting web snippets: U.S. manufacturing workers were on the job an average of 37.9 hours per week in 1996 Here are some 1996 European manufacturing comparisons: German workers only put in an average of 29 hours a week The average French worker is on the job 31.7 hours a week In Italy, the work week consists of 35 hours A British worker will toil 35.6 hours a week No super long summer vacations for american workers peace axeman
if i remember correctly my high schools top 10 to 15% had greater than a 4.0 average due to college prep classes. thats a school with around 2000 students (public HS back in 1990). there where only a handful of exchange students.