According to two economic researchers in London, the answer is "Yes." Gabriel Sahlgren and Julian Le Grand took a unique approach to the question of how to boost school and student achievement - look at history.
The authors argue that while many Asian countries may be out performing other Western nations in the PISA examination, that does not mean we should simply copy the educational format provided by these Asian nations. There are many differences between Western and Asian schools and research has not positively identified what has contributed to the educational gains in nations such as Singapore and China and what may simply be a diversion. Also, there are aspects of the Asian education system, such as wide gaps in student achievement, which would not be desirable for us to copy.
Instead, the focus should be on increasing school competition and providing flexibility to schools to address their own unique shortcomings that may be hampering student achievement. As evidence, the authors point to a recent study of schools systems in the 19th Century. According to the study as protestant governments began creating schools to rival previously dominant Catholic schools, school quality improved.
"In a recent study, two education economists - Martin West of Harvard and Ludger Woessmann of the University of Munich - have broken out of this short-term perspective and presented compelling evidence that competition works. Their trick is to make clever use of an accident of history. In the 19th century the Roman Catholic church faced a crisis of influence as protestant governments set up school systems that were beyond Papal influence. The Vatican responded by setting up its own schools. This early experiment in a competitive school system has left its mark, in the form of a parallel education system that persists to this day...Prof West and Prof Woessmann find that in these countries - where the legacy of the Vatican's efforts is competition between schools - attainment is strongest. The effect remains even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors that influence grades." Gabriel Sahlgren and Julian Le Grand in The Financial Times.