My God, KS! What a horrible ordeal!
It must have been bad if you're actually recommending people work for places like EF or Aston...

I'm mainly writing to amplify and refine a bit about the residence permits and work permits. KS is absolutely right in saying you should never let a school talk you into surrendering your documents at exit, or converting to a lesser visa. You can't refuse a request from the police to see your papers, but you definitely can and should keep them away from a school. No matter what they might tell you, the school can only cancel your visa or residence permit if they physically have it in their possession. Unless it's cancelled, you should be able to live on it until it expires.

To transfer a residence permit to a new school, you must have a release letter from your old school. If you've completed your contract and settled your affairs, the school can't legally refuse to give you this...but once in a while they will anyway. Of course, in a situation like KS describes there isn't a chance in hell that you'll get a release letter. Without it, you can't transfer your docs to a new school. As the old docs expire you have to step out of the country (usually Hong Kong) and re-enter on a new one. You have to go through the physical, the invitation letter...the whole bit all over again.

I'm also advised that in some provinces, if you don't have a release letter your old employer can block any new employment or applications for a residence permit, apparently indefinitely. So if you're forced to bolt a school as KS was, you may have to be prepared for a big move as well.

Kids Castle operates schools all over China, and I've never heard a kindly word about any of them. I'm with KS in advising that you give this one a miss.