I think you can sell education and private education can be more successful than public schools. Certainly in the UK there is a definite trend towards the private (or just to confuse the issue what we refer to as Public schools) schools producing better students than the state run schools.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9617603/A-level-results-2012-private-schools-dominate-top-grades.html

Of course that doesn't mean that such a system is desirable as it is undoubtedly creating an uneven playing field and making access to good education a privilege instead of a right. On a personal note, I attended a standard British comprehensive school which had an excellent head teacher who did a great deal to improve the school and secured funding from the national lottery to allow the school to build a sports centre with swimming pool as well as establishing itself as a foreign language centre. Since I left some years the school has expanded a great deal because of the number of students who wish to attend it. Either form can work so long as there are dedicated professionals involved.

Using TCs in China as an example of whether private education works or not is like saying you should do all your cooking at home and not visit restaurants based on an experience you had eating at McDonalds.