Every few years governments around the world compete in global rankings to see which nation is deemed to have the best school system in the world. Schools in Asia often get the best results, and other countries like Estonia and Canada are also highly praised. But in many parts of the world there are often huge barriers to getting children into the classroom at all - such as poverty, climate change and war. On today's episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC's Sean Coughlan and Professor John Jerrim from University College London about which countries have the most successful education systems in the world and what others can learn from them. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts and Eleanor Sly Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Ben Andrews Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.
You are actually radioactive and everything alive is.
Unexpected Elements from the BBC World Service.
Search for unexpected elements wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
Hello, I'm Lucy Hawkings from the BBC World Service.
This is the Global Story.
A good education can make us richer, healthier and help us to thrive.
And governments around the world compete in global rankings to see which nation is deemed to have the best school system in the world.
Our main responsibility is to nurture the students in such a way that they will be ready for the future to become productive citizens of tomorrow.
Asian schools often get the best results, with some Nordic countries also highly praised.
But in many parts of the world, there are often huge barriers to getting children into the classroom at all.
It's cruel not to open schools for girls.
We have as much right to learn as boys do.
It would be cruel of the Taliban not to allow us to return to our schools.
So what does the best school system in the world look like?
And which country educates its children best?
With me today in the Global Story studio is Sean Coghlan.
Some of you will have heard Sean and I talking already on the Global Story about the UK royal family, as he's one of our royal correspondents.
But before that, Sean, for many years you were one of our education correspondents and you led BBC news coverage of what we're going to talk about today, which is global education.
So welcome.