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.