I Japan, schools still work like when I was a kid.
A student walks to the front of the class, solves a problem on the board, erases it and then the next student comes to the board and is given a problem.
Every student knows where every other student stands (if he pays attention) and nobody fails in secret. Teachers can assign study partners if needed to help with known weeknesses.
Academic secrecy is the enemy of academic achievement.
My daughter (native level Japanese, poor English skills, looked obviously America) was assigned with a Japanese girl (native Engish right down to the Texas twang, poor Japanese skills) whose family had just returned from a long posting in Houston. They both improved greatly in their (supposedly) native language after working together that school year.