I once watched some random documentary of high school students enrolling in universities in China. It's crazy how disciplined and motivated they are. They go to school early in the morning and come back at night, then do lots of homework, late into the night, and repeat that process over and over again. Their dedication and discipline is amazing, well most of them. So I think that it has a lot to do with parents raising them up in a strict environment, in which a high education is most valued.