Well done Julie, I salute your actions. I wish your boss(es) had your integrity.

Your little story highlights why schools want native speakers. Obviously they want qualified natives, but again obviously there are a lot of crappy native teachers out there. The answer isn't, I am sorry to say, to hire non-natives, but to improve checks and conditions and hire qualified teachers.

Before I am hate-posted to death, let me say that I have recruited several non-native speakers in my time at my current school (both times after arguing with my boss). Whilst one was a good teacher, the other isn't, but the POINT IS I can't give them advanced classes because their English isn't good enough. They make mistakes (as per Julie's post) and the advanced students pick up on these.
Now this is no reflection on their teaching skills, there are bad and good native and non native teachers, and both these teachers were/are popular and did well with lower level classes.
I still can't hire non-white teachers, but that is for China to sort out, I have given up arguing about this, I am not going to win. :-(

Let me just say something else. This forum is littered with posts slagging off teachers in China. Now I *know* there are bad teachers here (both native, non-native, black, brown, white etc) BUT there are also a whole heap of GOOD, QUALIFIED teachers. I know many more of this latter group than the former, mainly because the former get moved on after a while.
My school only hires qualified teachers, with degrees (which is something I actually disagree with at times) and a TEFL.

Now then, Guy. Laowai means foreigner, so your are a laowai as well, and 'native laowai' is an oxymoron, but I understood what you meant.

Finally:
Here is an actual job application I received from a Nigerian. (One of about 50 I get everytime I post an ad, despite saying I won't reply to them). This is a bit of an extreme example, but it isn't uncommon! :

"just from xxxx i now apply for a position in ur school.I gonna be happy to teach in ur schoolif u gonna give me the chance ok.If u need me i can then forward my ducs to u ok."

Good txt English, but hardly a wonderful example of an application letter! I won't be employing this person, though I will be sending them a reply telling them how to improve their chances of employment!!

Happy new years everyone (Laowai and Chinese new years).

Dos