Nice post Smitty - One point though. I believe Chinese people are intelligent and savvy, this includes even the wealthy ones. No parent I've ever met wants their child to cheat their way through school.

Advertising is important and comes in two forms. One is bought and paid for, the other is free by way of word of mouth. There is one multi-billion dollar education company/school in China and they are successful. They have the abysmal deep pockets to continually dump cash into their marketing schemes. Have you ever heard of New Oriental Ed?

Most, if not all, the other schools in China can't afford that kind of financial outlay, therefore word-of-mouth advertising will eventually make or break most schools over time. The market evens the field. To impose governmental rules is a huge mistake and will certainly cause more problems than they will ever resolve. To tell you the truth, I have no qualms with the fact that there are so many incompetent teachers running around China. Additionally, it doesn't bother me that there are so many "learning centers" here that don't have the faintest idea of how to produce genuine learning results. It just makes the rest of us look so much better.

It is a bummer that many hard warking people get caught up with bad contracts here, It would be nice if that could change somewhow. I'm not sure the answer to that one. I think in many ways its up to us to help put integrity back into the classrooms/schools by holding fast to or western values and not capitulating. As sad as it is, the average Chinese person doesn't even know that plagerism is wrong! The moral code here is skewed and runs much deeper than the concept of "corruption" can possibly encapsulate - its cultural make no mistake about that.

Two things do bother me. 1) Its one thing to BS your way into a position. But please, for you own good, don't become deluded! Keep your feet on the ground folks. Get the degrees and the expeience first, then you can walk with the big boys. 2) Don't generalize because you've had a bad experience! Please don't insult my intelligence by saying, "All GAC schools are terrible". How can an educated person, a "teacher"no less, make a statement like that? Now, if you disagree with the GAC's Ed. philosophy, curriculum or assessment procedures that's another matter. I say lets discuss it. The GAC is a great program, I dearsay the best and most accountable EFL foundation program available in the entire world. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

If You don't agree I stand ready and willing to be refuted. ***This letter is not directed to any one person- I initally responded to Smitty's post but I am writing to any and all people who have an interest in the GAC or this general topic.***