Best school in Nepal? Best for whom? For some magazine rankings? For the ego of some groups of alumni? For all students? Best by what criteria? -Best in terms of preparing students for three-hour exams? -Best in terms of preparing students to face the ups and downs of life? Maybe the so-called "best schools" (whichever they are) have what's called "exam meritocracy" - the results of which do NOT count for much for 99.99 per cent of people to be the best in anything in life. Meantime, I found this very interesting. Hat tip to AMS for the pointer. Enjoy, oohi ashu ******************* "Newsweek pundit Fareed Zakaria observed that students in Singapore score much higher than American students; but 10 or 20 years later, American students are ahead. “Singapore has few truly top-ranked scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors, business executives or academics. American kids test much worse, but seem to do better later in life and in the real world.” Some have attributed this outcome to the quality of American universities. But to contend this would be to deny that elementary and secondary education has any consequences. A more plausible explanation is that multiple-choice tests taken by 13-year-olds don’t count for much in the long run. The Singapore minister of education affirmed this interpretation, telling Zakaria that Singapore had an exam meritocracy, America a talent meritocracy. “We cannot use tests to measure creativity, ambition or the willingness of students to question conventional wisdom.” Zakaria also quoted a Singaporean father who once lived in the United States. “In the American school, when my son would speak up, he was applauded and encouraged. In Singapore he’s seen as pushy and weird.” The father moved his son to an American-style private school. - http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2006/julaug/features/nclb.html