Having read a fair few textbooks on flight instruction and aviation history. A book on CFS history (Central Flying School) summarised that there were really only two independent structures for teaching flying. That from the United States and that from Europe (combination of British Gosport and early French military / civil techniques). This can be seen by the regulations played out all over the world. You either follow US FAR conventions or JAR and now EASA. Russia and China are a little unknown but from what little I know they were influenced by the European (Russia) and US (Chine flying tiger era) theories.
Interesting discussion, though.