Additionally people need touch ups and re-examination if it's many years later as education really does atrophy over time if it's unused information,

Officials have terms. If they are at the end of their term, do the voters view them as fit to keep going or don't they? If they want to keep going, they probably should prepare, since that's a good way of appearing fit. Further, if there is some precipitous decline or even if it turns out they weren't really prepared, there're recall elections. I wonder if China has those.

Edit: It was "Whole People's State", which rhetorically makes way more sense. I got mixed up.