Well said AMonk!

One of our foreign teachers has initiated a clothing drive among the foreign staff. We are all contributing clothes that we seldom or never wear that will be sent to the hardest hit area. If all schools where foreigners are employed showed their concern in such a manner, it may do a little to offset the negative image of Westerners that has been generated not only by the most recent wave of unbalanced news reporting, but also the negative image that many FT's manage to portray through their cultural insensitivity which is obviated in their classrooms as well as their daily lives in and around China. I don't say this lightly - there is a growing concern among students and their parents that many FT's have been getting a free ride and that the demand for English teachers does not justify incompetence and insensitivity. This is an issue that is currently being addressed throughout China by the suddenly increasing visits of the PSB to universities and private schools alike, and is also demonstrated by the visa rules which will make it harder for pretend teachers to renew their contracts. The recent phenomenon of Ft's in this forum blaming their students and anyone else they can think of for their negative results in the classroom exemplifies the need for a sea change in the way that teachers are hired for employment as educators in China.

Sorry for the digression. I applaud your kindheartedness my friend. The Chinese have had so much to deal with this year. And, as usual, it's the poor folks who end up suffering the most.