1: Biased. Not all public schools and universities are like this, I know several public schools that hired FTs purely because they wanted a white face to show prospective parents (sic: investors) that they had a pet FT. They were discouraged from teaching any set curriculum and were given no help or support by the school.

Some TCs are bad, others are not. Like with any place, do your research, speak to teachers already working there and ask to see samples of the materials you are expected to teach from. There are TCs in China that teach to CESOL standards, and some centres are officially accredited with institutions like Cambridge English or IELTS, these schools will be better. I worked at an EF school and they supplied their own curriculum (in.line with the CEFR) but how you taught that material is up to the individual teacher. There's no 'one size fits all' method, there's a curriculum to follow, but that is true of most places. At TCs you will be expected to teach all skills, reading, writing, listening and oral fluency. At state schools the focus is very much simply on conversational English. Personally, I find this boring, I prefer to teach the whole package as that is what I trained to do, but it is more involving and will require more preparation than simply coming up with a topic to discuss, a roleplay to enact or a video to watch and then talk about!

Training Centres can provide Z visas. The ones I worked at did and the ones my friends worked at did. There was one that didn't and the teachers there left as soon as it became apparent it wasn't going to make an appearance. The school was closed days later. The simple fact is that you need to do your research before arriving and the second you smell a rat (at either a TC or state establishment) you need to get yourself to the nearest embassy (something you should know the location of prior to arriving in China) to explain the situation.

2: Working hours are subjective. If, like me, you are not a morning person, state school and universities can be a killer. I worked in a state school and I hated the hours. However afternoon and evening classes at a TC suited me much better. I could go out for dinner or to socialise after work and not have to be in the office until 2:30pm to prepare lessons or materials. Days off are also relative, if your friends work the same days then which days off you have specifically is irrelevant! During my year in the south of China my friend and I (who worked at a different school) used to have Monday-Tuesday off, we used to say "Sunday Funday, Hangover Monday" we'd go out partying on the Sunday and spend Monday lazying about watching TV or playing x-box, or if the hangover wasn't to bad, exploring the local area.

Although some places try to implement split days off. Make sure to make it known during the interview phase this is not something you are prepared to do and get it in writing from the owner before you begin work. If they renege on this, back to the embassy you go.

3: This entire 'point' is utter nonsense. I met many qualified, good and dedicated teachers working at TCs who really know what they're talking about. Unlike SB who thinks that a quick oral exam, complied and conducted by himself, is all his students need by way of progress assessment! Yes, there are bad teachers at TCs, who are teaching only to secure a visa so they can have an extended holiday in Asia or elsewhere, usually with the primary focus being sleeping their way around the country. But then as you can tell from the rest of SB's post, that is also true of state schools and universities!

There are good teachers and bad teachers everywhere in ESL, especially so in China, due to demand for FTs and the lax regulations.on who qualifies for a working visa. As said before, do your research and speak to FTs already working at the school you are considering. Listen to what they say.

As with any job, anywhere in the world, there is always a 'boss'. SB believes this is not something that should be tolerated in teaching and they certainly don't deserve any support or respect. I'd hazzard a guess that he's a little resentful that after so many years in China he's still just a lowly conversation teacher and has no rewarding career or personal life which results in his rather bitter views on career and women. He doesn't understand that for some people teaching is a vocation and they are willing to put in the extra time to do the best for their students.

When I first started teaching, over a decade ago in the UK, my head of key stage was invaluable to me, I leaned on her for support and guidance and she was a wonderful mentor. A good DoS is also invaluable, they will provide ongoing training and support and will be a buffer between frontline teachers and the Chinese boss and their not so western approach to education. A bad DOS is nothing more than a mouthpiece only concerned with keeping their employer happy and these people should be avoided at all costs. This year I became head of YL studies at the school I work for in Europe. In addition to my normal teaching workload I assist the other teachers with YL exam preparation (I'm a Cambridge English qualified examiner) and give them.advice and support with classroom issues and management. Professional teachers like myself do exist in China, but we are unfortunately few and far between.

I shan't comment on the rest of your 'advice' other than to say that your misogynistic opinions disgust me and your materialistic assessment of the value of human beings is abhorrent.