yes I did
I hail from Singapore. although it is kinda derided as a nanny state, I feel that the educational system is more competitive. more focus on English and less on rote learning. exposure to various cultures.

Having said that, because I taught in Japanese schools for two years, I love their emphasis on raising upright and caring citizens. Granted that this comes with a price - suppression of individuality. But I often felt that the Japanese treated me, a foreigner, better than my countrymen would treat one another.