China is only for having a good time. Nobody really comes to China " for the teaching". Anybody who really takes teaching seriously in China these days is a fool.

But we foreign teachers should take our teaching seriously enough so as not to be fired through it being substandard in our local workplace environments. The name of the game is to fulfill our contracts according to our Chinese bosses' minimum demands and as a consequence of that not to lose out financially. How much elbow grease we need to expend in order to do so will depend largely on whether we choose the public or the private sector to practise our profession.

In my experience the public sector is generally a better choice - less effort required to please the employer and more job security besides. But although the pay is less, much less stress and more time to play are among the positives.

Those of us who are enlightened can all quote examples from the West where public functions have been privatised resulting in inferior employment packages and more hours at work for new staffs.

Only a Western fool, or a greedy and naive Westerner, or someone who cannot meet the minimum requirements for a foreign expert's certificate, would immerse himself/herself in the private education sector in China. That sector is far worse than any other private sector in the West re employees' employment packages and job security.

I curse all you gws who dare to come on here and praise up private schools/training centers in China. You're on the take and on the make!