What's school like in ____?

My understanding of school systems in other countries is, sadly, pretty limited. But you're never too old to learn new things, right? So what's it like to be a student in Bulgaria? If you're curious, check out this article from The Sofia Echo (via the ASCD SmartBrief -- click here to subscribe.) Interesting.

If you ever bump into articles about schools in other countries, would you let me know? I'll post them on JIS Topics. Or better yet, you could write a description yourself for JIS Topics readers. (I'm sure Robert's description of Catholic boarding school in Kenya would be captivating -- especially the part about getting spanked weekly with a golf club.* Ouch!)

The broader our understanding of other educational systems, the better.

*with the handle end of the club, Robert informs me. Double ouch.

UPDATE: Apparently corporal punishment still happens in the United States. Click here for an article in last week's New York Times that describes the practice, which surprisingly is banned in only 28 of the 50 states.