I didn't say anything about working for a TC...just that 20 to 30 year olds should stay away. 5,000 a month is nothing in real money terms...

Twenty to thirty year old well-educated, on the ball types, automatically stay away anyway, unless they just do the working holiday thing for the year- however, if they work for a training centre it'll be all work and no holiday. It's the ne're-do-well, ropey degree holders who try and take on FTing as a career when it ain't. Smart young men come to China as engineers, stay in posh hotels and get considerably more respect than white monkey FT's. The Chinese private schools know full well they can only attract the academic dregs or ex-urinal cleaners like myself- they know we can't do our maths and will not realise we are working for a lower hourly rate at 12000 RMB than if we took the easier option of working for a uni which pays 5000 RMB. I worked for the 12000 at rubbish centres until I realised 5000 works out as more.