Is a Universal Model of a ‘Good’ National Education System that brings Economic Returns Emerging?

The consensus around the importance of educational quality on economic growth and societal development is more robust than ever. Major studies such as Hanushek & Woessmann (2015; 2020) indicate that a nation’s aggregate cognitive skills, measured with international mathematics and science assessments such as TIMMS, PIRLS, and PISA, is indicative of its educational quality, which is a vital component for economic growth. Such studies have also influenced the trajectory of international organizations so far as to include ‘quality education’ as one of the Sustainable Development Goals 2013 (United Nations, 2015). Therefore, by building on the studies asserting the importance of quality education and cognitive skills accumulation, we examine whether there is a universal model of a ‘good’ education system should look like is emerging. Based on observing the education systems of countries with a solid track record on international assessments aimed to measure cognitive skills, we argue that there seems to be various common themes, and also highly distinctive paths to success among highly renowned education systems.