The World Economic Forum's latest Global Competitiveness Report,
which assesses the economies of 144 countries and ranks them
based on more than 100 indicators, had something to say about
education. This is hardly surprising since education is a main
determinant of economic competitiveness. The question, though,
is whether the index -- which relies heavily on business
executive assessments for the ranking -- really gets education
right. After looking at the country rankings, it's difficult not
to have doubts. For example, Lebanon and Qatar were among the
top 10 countries in terms of quality of math and science
education, quality of primary education, and more generally
quality of the educational system. Though no doubt a pleasant
surprise for Lebanese and Qataris, this assessment is a
significant departure from the results of student achievement
tests in every international test Lebanon and Qatar have
participated in. In the international student achievement tests
in math and sciences (TIMSS) in 2007 and 2011