Schools in China - they're not all that strict

I went out to dinner with some friends of my parents who have two kids who are in elementary school. Their son is the same age as my cousin Wendy (12), but their classroom experiences are polar opposites. Their kids go to what's known as International School, comprised of mostly expat's kids. Chinese kids make up barely 10% with the majority being Australian and American. Classes are taught in English and annual tuition lands around $30,000 USD. The day I met them, Wendy was preparing diligently for her midterms while this family's son was preparing a Michael Jackson routine to audition for the school lip-synching performance. The kids at the International School adopt the western educational system where there is rarely any homework or exams, but creativity and imagination are taught and encouraged.
When we asked the parents if their kids could get into any Chinese colleges after graduating from the K-12 International School, the mom replied with a smirk, "No way. They are prepared for universities outside of China, but definitely would not be able to get into any of the domestic colleges.". Just as a side note, Chinese universities are immensely competitive to get into. Some kids may never have good enough grades to get into any college and are confined to manual labor or blue collar work for the rest of their lives.
P.S. This picture has nothing to do with this post but I thought the baby was too cute!