There are big differences in attitudes towards learning and best-practice comparing the two regions as outlined in the article: Chinese teachers bring the art of maths to English schools https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/13/chinese-teachers-bring-the-art-of-maths-to-english-schools On the one hand there is an admired expectation (by the UK leaders) that all students in the Shanghai system are held to the same high standard, make learning gains related to math literacy at an early age and are taught by effective and efficient teachers but on the other hand there is a recognition that the benefits of such an approach may come at a cost with regards to student enjoyment and perhaps skills related to inquiry. The pedagogical approaches in the UK and China are as vastly different as their cultures.