It's always dicey comparing educational systems because countries differ widely in their values and customs. But with so much riding on outcomes, the risk is worth taking. Japan and the United States serve as instructive cases in point.
Long known for placing the onus for learning squarely on the shoulders of students, Japan is in the process of trying to strike a healthier balance between individual responsibility and satisfactory performance.
A solution is complicated by the memory of what happened 10 years ago when the Education Ministry adopted yutori kyoiku (loose education). Rules were changed to reflect the American system of educating the young. School hours were shortened, homework was lightened and students were no longer held overwhelmingly accountable for results.