Any one measure can't possibly touch this topic.
First, one needs to distinguish what is the minimum required level for those who pass, what is the average level of those who pass, and furthermore what recources are available for the upper percent to take advantage of. There are probably more distinctions to be made, but these at least can differ quite widely within the same school, and none of them even touch the issue of the quality of learning itself. How hard it is to pass is not necessarily a measure of the school, but rather a measure of the meaning of the grade or document the school will give you.
Second, I think it is important to distinguish among the various levels of education. The U.S. is likely lagging behind among pre-college education, but the college education is still a lot better than in many other places, because
A) There is more breadth, as opposed to increasing specialization in more places.
B) There is less focus on memorization, and more upon understanding.
While Japanese high school is quite rigorous (arguably too much so), most of their colleges are a joke by American standards. It's quite hard to get in, but not much is expected from you once you're in there.
First, one needs to distinguish what is the minimum required level for those who pass, what is the average level of those who pass, and furthermore what recources are available for the upper percent to take advantage of. There are probably more distinctions to be made, but these at least can differ quite widely within the same school, and none of them even touch the issue of the quality of learning itself. How hard it is to pass is not necessarily a measure of the school, but rather a measure of the meaning of the grade or document the school will give you.
Second, I think it is important to distinguish among the various levels of education. The U.S. is likely lagging behind among pre-college education, but the college education is still a lot better than in many other places, because
A) There is more breadth, as opposed to increasing specialization in more places.
B) There is less focus on memorization, and more upon understanding.
While Japanese high school is quite rigorous (arguably too much so), most of their colleges are a joke by American standards. It's quite hard to get in, but not much is expected from you once you're in there.