IMHO, one of the main reasons for the success of Finland might be the writing system which is nothing short of as phonetic as the Latin alphabet allows... But I might be all wrong with that!
One common factor between Japanese and Finns might also be shyness and reservedness which might promote reading books instead of "having fun"?? ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com> wrote: But the US government alters the playing field by offering the "Genius" visa to foreigners who have the qualifications necessary to fill highly skilled jobs in the USA. Nonetheless, kudos to Japan and Finland for topping the tests in three categories. http://news.yahoo.com/us-adults-score-below-average-worldwide-test-090114407.html http://news.yahoo.com/us-adults-score-below-average-worldwide-test-090114407.html