Teaching "assistants" in China are a joke. This is a useless and superfluous job that should have been abolished long ago.

It's a bloody good starter job for a graduate; gives her the chance to build up her English, up close and personal with an FT. She can be a life-saver for an FT like myself with limited Mandarin at his command; she can help him out with all manner of little problems, and not only in the classroom. Now I know they can be spies for your employers; but if you have your head screwed on you can win her round so she's more on your side; however, you both have to be cunning and agree on little complaints she can report back about you, haha; otherwise she will be thought of as disloyal to the powers that be, and they'll get shot of her. Now am i right or am I right? You do have to use your grey matter working and living in China.