Elite Tracks Win Olympiads

Romania scores near the bottom in OECD PISA tests yet ranks among the top countries in math, physics, and informatics Olympiads. The article argues this paradox comes from a system built to aggressively identify and intensively train top students—via selective schools, competitions, teacher networks, and national camps—rather than to raise the median. — This spotlights a 'barbell' education strategy where prioritizing elite pipelines can yield world-class outputs even when mass schooling lags, challenging equity-first, one-size-fits-all reforms.