The Chinese education system has a ridiculous variance when it comes to quality. In rural areas "education" is often close to non-existent, and even in cities parents constantly push their kids towards private schools (even at the elementary level), since the state ones are often of questionable quality as well.

As for the people with options - the US would do well for itself to retain the ones with options. These are the people your economy needs to most; you can do without a lot of the ones without options.