EducationJapan, South Korea and Hong Kong slip as regional rivals dominate OECD assessmentHigh school seniors study during night self-study sessions at No. 5 Middle School as China's annual national college entrance examination approaches in Gaomi, Shandong province, on May 27. © Getty ImagesYURIKA YONEDASeptember 8, 2026 17:53 JSTTOKYO -- Asian students swept the world's top academic rankings in the latest OECD assessment, with Chinese regions reclaiming the science crown and Singapore leading in reading.