I don't think it's fair to classify China as a society that values style and substance above excellence just because the kids prefer clowns to teachers...I mean, that's pretty universal. It's just in the nature of the children to want to go to class if their teacher is putting on a show for them, whereas they get real teachers all day long...and esl schools are about money, so if the kids are happy and the parents are paying, they don't care if you don't teach them a lick of English. HOWEVER, I have found that my students love me and want to take my classes again and again, not because I am a dancing monkey, but because I am a good teacher who has engaging lessons and actually provides structure and discipline which children crave...believe it or not.
This is 100% true. It is also true that aside from structure and discipline, kids actually do love learning. It is built into them, learning is a child's greatest purpose in life, what they are literally programmed to do from the moment they're born, and something that almost all children derive pleasure from if left to their own devices. Often the love of learning is forgotten and learning becomes a task or a chore rather than a joy, but learning and fun do not have to be mutually exclusive.