Verakin has been involved in several known scams, they sign a contract, and does not honor it, load up more classes, they don't pay bills, and it is reported top be a problem with the headmaster who pockets money for himself. Beware, don't go there.

Finally, I have moved out of the home I rented nearby the GAC OWENS and their Sino American International School in Chongqing. Losing 1,000 RMB on my 2,500 Yuan deposit due to, according to the appartment owner's reasoning, some "mold on a wall" and "two days of unpaid utilities", I had to happily accept the part of my deposit only.

Most importantly, the school's management has not expressed any interest whatsoever in either negotiating my rental agreement at beginning or the end. And, worse than that as they've done their best to bury me in expenses as I've had to pay for my initial rental dep, health check, visa and plane tickets and then they've also tried to fix me up when applying for my work visa on mainland again. The OWENS management's Release Letter to me, the Foreign Expert Termination Letter, is a slap in my face after the six months of ordeal with this company. Even though none of the OWENS managers have neither never observed my classes nor known me at all as I was there for only 6 months (and alone in classes), I have been evaluated as a "POOR" expert and the reason for leaving in that letter ticked "PERSONAL" is just to make it hard for me to apply for another position on mainland. Never mind the fact that Michelle Meng, the center's manager, has signed my Resignation Letter on November 2nd which stated my reasons much different than that "personal" in the Foreign Expert Termination Letter and never mind the fact that I have worked with their academic product with another company for 4 years prior to coming to OWENS, they disregarded my Letter of Recommandation from the previous employer as well as they disrespected my actual effort from the whole 6 months with them. Then, in order to get my final 6h month full salary (they wanted to cut it to half), I had to sign a letter that I would never disrepute OWENS anywhere.

Moreover, by threatening me, the OWENS management has tried to force me convert my residency permit valid until next May to an L visa as the company has arranged it for me. Reasoning that their Release Letter to me in the Foreign Expert Termination Letter, they've provided me with, is unprofessional from them, I have left with the residency permit in my passport unchanged.

So, and as I am worried applying for my next post eslewhere, the OWENS filthy Chinese managemenet in Kevin, Sarah or the manager of their GAC center Michelle Meng should be avoided at all costs. Their foreign academic director Dave in Jie Fan Bei's private language center is just their pupet that'd do anything to keep his (entertainment) position as he's refused to offer me any assistance at all, or provide me with the OWENS owners (whom I was never allowed to talk to) contact number.

Note that they are advertising for foreign teachers and they say in their job adverts that they've got 54 teachers. Interestingly, their lovely HR rep called Smile, that was bothering me so much to convert my visa before my departure, stated on the end of November that OWENS had 40 teachers then. Their adverts are full of lies as much as their management reps are. Their GAC center on Nanshan Mountain is especially to be away from as the 25 years old Michelle Meng there is not only clueless, but also as vicious as she can be. The work environment there is a way beyond anyone's expectations as you are there on your own even with the simple basic suplies such as computer, paper, printer or copy machine and never mind other kinda supports one would need.

On another note, the few OWENS students that are there are from filthy rich families and care little about the education but a lot about getting to that foreign country and quickly. The young students there are well aware of what's going on in the company and they'll take a complete advantage of the situation. If a teacher happens to take them out of their comfort zone, they'll bite by filing complaints against and you'll be quickly "evaluated" by the OWENS management. Mind you that some of these students' parents are personal friends of the OWENS management too. Luckily, I've escaped by filing my own Resignation Letter first, although a loss of face means a lot on mainland as it looks like in my case.

To sum up my warning, keep in mind that work permits on mainland now aren't as easy as a decade ago and a bad rap from an employer may come costly to anyone. And, some Foreign Expert Offices with their SAFEA regulations/contracts are at times none existant or just bias as they find it easier to serve the local employers than the foreign experts. It's a vicious cicle where money flows to some pockets easier than to others.

Marry Christmass with cheers and beers to all

In response to the ones that have bad experiences with GAC centers, I agree there are poorly run centers around. I myself have had an experience at the GAC Nanning (Guanxi) center that had a poor management as well as facilities. That center and a Guangzhou GAC center were both owned by the same company. Having moved to another GAC center in Chongqing, I discovered yet another poorly run GAC center and even worse one than in Nanning. Actually I'd rephrase that to a dreadful one here in Chongqing.

However, I still believe that there might be some better GAC centers around as the GAC academic program is not so bad and its goals are just great. If the powers only realized that this academic product/program is supposed to be for the young people to get ready for the/any western unis rather than sell it as a "green card" to the USA, it would work much better. And, if the powers tried harder to centralize the GAC operations rather than allow individual centers run their own little jungles, it would also bring more qualified foreign experts in too as well as bring the message to its students to respect the teachers and the program more.

So, the success lies in the ACT company that apparently owns this little jungle and I dare to say that Tod Andrews, the front runner who chases the monkeys around, should rattle some real cages rather than just collect his shares. Centers like GAC Chongqing that've broken scores of GAC regulations and created virtually no environment for students to prepare for abroad studies should've its cage overhauled.

Cheers and beers to GAC overhaul rather than destruction...but is it possible?

As for GAC, it should be shut down. It's just an excuse to rip off poor unsuspecting Chinese students, many of whom actually come from lower middle class Chinese families that view GAC as a the door opener for life overseas.

The details of how the scam is executed:

At first, by Chinese students who are in the middle of their study abroad plus others not studying abroad who lie that they took GAC in China, lying just for a few days during a FREE GAC taster course in their hometown before leaving to continue their studies, inside or outside China, at their universities at the end of their summer vacation. They'll stress GAC is the reason why their study abroad is so excellent. But in fact, most of them have never studied abroad! They are young adult Chinese stooges paid by a Chinese school director to try to persuade Chinese high school leavers from middle or upper class families to do GAC instead of go on to a Chinese university to study. So, at first there's an advertising campaign,followed by a 5-day FREE GAC taster, which consists of indoctrination and playing so-called games that develop students' intelligence, like accepting a ping pong ball tossed to you while tossing one that had been tossed to you previously to the person next to you, all of you standing in a circle, LOL! It's stressed that GAC is a fun course. Actually that couldn't be farther from the truth! After the freebie GAC taster, students are urged to sign up by the stooges. Meanwhile, two FT's will also stress to the young scam targets that GAC will mean they can get great jobs after graduating abroad, or can even get green cards and change their nationality! It's stated firmly that the Chinese tertiary education system is crap and that a Western degree can open many doors for them employment-wise - sweeping generalisations, of course!
What about GAC utself? It consists of 6 separate modules being taught simultaneously 6 days a week,for about 6 weeks. After that, students are tested on each module by means of written tests. The initial modules include academic writing, math, computing, and independent study techniques. The material is demanding and fast-paced, and quite a lot of it is at first year university level. There are 3 tests per module, of which a GAC facilitator can choose one to give to his (or her) students. Why three? Indeed strange! A facilitator is not allowed to go over the tests in class after each test has been given, but will have to do so, contrary to GAC rules, on the instructions of the Chinese school director. Two laowai teaching about 20 lessons/week, one a DOSer, will be hired to teach GAC, and some oral lessons, working Monday to Saturday, possibly until 8 pm. Salary will be around 8000Y - 12000Y per month. The employer will provide free housing. The employer must rent a computer lab and an office. The fee for each student will be around 60000Y for the 9-month program. To break even,the employer will need to scam at least 6 students. The fee will likely be a one-off payment at the start of the program.It'll be non-refundable if the students pass, so the parents are told, before they pay up. So, failure is not an option!After 'graduation', the Chinese director will use his (or her) 'foreign friends' to 'arrange' university places for the students at so-called good universities abroad, and of course pocket introduction fees from there, of 5 - 15% of what the rich parents will pay for their offspring's first year of board and study abroad, which, of course, is not stated to the students or their parents!
Of course,the majority of students who enrol aren't capable of doing GAC well due to their ropey English and/or lack of intelligence. It's a great scam if a 'school' can attract around ten students. But fortunately for them, many Chinese free GAC taster participants do not join GAC in Northern China, even in a provincial capital. If the school can't attract enough students in the first year of its operation, it will re-open under a different name the following year, to attempt to perpetrate the GAC scam again. This is so as to cover up the initial failure in case some cautious parents or their offspring google the school's name!

A warning to all foreign teachers - beware of GAC in China!

Again, the world is very small.

I have read many of English Gibson's postings on www.eslcafe.com and I would like to assure our readers here that E.G. is an old China hand with a good grasp on the reality of things around here.

As for GAC, I suffered through one very miserable year in a GAC program in Henan at a 10th rate university. The students paid a lot of money for a decidedly inferior product. There were about 10 foreign teachers that were bossed around by a 2 meter tall Australian dude from Sydney. He made about RMB 25,000 per month and the rest of the foreign teachers made anywhere from RMB 4,000 - RMB 6,000 per month. I never knew what a white colonialist plantation owner was like until I worked for him. We were truly the "hired hands" and I felt like someone out of "Gone With the Wind". Anytime a foreign teacher would even question the validity or legality of the program, the poobah would dispatch that teacher to the ranks of the unemployed within days. That does not include all of his late night visits to teachers in their flats at which point he would heap reams of invective upon them. Everyone ran for cover as fast as they could.

As for GAC, it should be shut down. It's just an excuse to rip off poor unsuspecting Chinese students, many of whom actually come from lower middle class Chinese families that view GAC as a the door opener for life overseas.

I paid for my flight and a flat rental deposit six months ago, when I singed a contract with the GAC center owned by OWENS and Verakin High School (Sino-American International School). After virtually no attempts to discipline my students for their poor attendance and performance by the school and the manager Michelle, I demanded the center spoke to the kids parents. As nothing was done, I had little choice, but resign on a moth notice (professionally). My manager has informed me that my last month salary would be cut in half as I did not have to teach the sad class. I am furious and want to let everyone know this company is to watch out for!!!