South Korea provides an important cautionary tale. Their fifteen-year-old students rank first in the world in math and reading. They reach the top with a pressure-filled system aimed at mastering entrance exams to get into prestigious universities. It’s so absurd that parents of kindergartners are dropping $25,000 on private tutors to prep for future tests. But early obsession comes with a cost. Their early academic lead fades as they enter the workforce. Research shows that their scores on cognitive ability peak earlier and decline faster than their peers from similar countries.
