Although it pains me to admit it, Silvertot may be right when he states that non-degree holders are often better teachers than degree - holders. Of course "often" is the operative word here; moreover, it depends on whether or not he is referring to the teaching of Oral English as offered up by private schools and/or some middle and senior schools wherein the "teacher" simply needs to model the language or has the luxury and/or ability to follow a curriculum that is already laid out for him/her or a text book that needn't be deviated from.

Unfortunately, the above scenario reduces the adaptive aspect so necessary for effective teaching - especially in a university environment. In addition, it pre-supposes a certain degree of cultural sensitivity, which many teachers, degree holders or not, are often incapable of demonstrating.

Never the less, on a selective basis, if I were in the position of choosing between a young teacher who met certain criteria and an older "pretend teacher" whose reasons for teaching in China needed to be brought into question, I would probably prefer the young teacher. However, the criteria for the young teacher's eligibility would be that he/she was well on their way to earning a degree and was only taking some time out from their studies in order to gain some abroad experience that could even be credited by their home university. Also, I would certainly expect that said teacher could clearly demonstrate English skills beyond the simple ability to model the language. For example, a "teacher," such as Silvertot, who writes, "awaiting for" and can't seem to figure out when a sentence ends and another begins, would not meet the necessary standards that would qualify him for employment.

I think this particular thread is an interesting one. Certainly more important than the endless rantings about Frank Zhang. And it definitely is relative in terms of what many teachers realize is an inevitable reshuffling that has been long awaited. "Pretend teachers," Silvertot's contrary claim not withstanding, will soon be caught in the cross hairs and will be expected to provide the necessary documentation that under most circumstances would warrant their continuance as educators in China. Yes, there are loop holes in the law that have enabled them to be hired up until now, but those loop holes will soon be closing.