Like me, they feel that money isn't by any means everything, and much prefer working considerably fewer hours under much less pressure with much more job security in the public sector, though of course for a considerably lower salary.

Indeed, it is money for old rope in the public sector.

I only pull 5,000 rmb a month at my current job, but for the amount of lesson planning and actual work I have to do, I think it is fair. This week, classes were cancelled from weds to fri, so I had lots of free time...could one say that about a training centre, and would they still get paid?

While the renumeration is of course considerably lower, as you rightly state, I'm averse to being a pet in a fishtank and working friday nights, saturday afternoons. TC's just arent for me either!