The top 10 percent of America’s eighth graders failed to perform up to international standards in a recent study by the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

Fourteen-year-old American students scored 143 points below Singapore, the nation whose students lead the world in math scores on the international test.

The study, which tested 500,000 students in 41 countries, also showed that United States schools emphasize more time in the class while students in Japan, another nation with top math students, specialize more in quality time.

Another difference in the educational system between the U.S. and other top nations is the teaching style. The study showed that while U.S. teachers focus more on drilling students, Japan emphasizes teaching students concepts.

The differences between the U.S. and the top nations show something rather embarrassing: the scores of the top 10 percent of U.S. eighth graders were equivalent to those of the average student in Singapore.

However, students are not wholly to blame. What may be in question is our educational system.

The top nations, which include South Korea, Hong Kong and Belgium, have national requirements for its students. The U.S. does not have national requirements. The U.S. has traditionally had its educational requirements determined by local communities.

Has this hurt the education of our students? Have national requirements helped nations in which students have excelled?

If there is a link between the academic performance of students and the educational structure they learn in, then national requirements for the U.S. should at least be investigated.

After all, as a nation that talks about the importance of education and a bright future for their children, we have nothing to lose by seeking avenues to achieve excellence.