I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience, but I cannot see this at all. Perhaps things have changed a lot. I started at TKK in February 2008 and continued the half-year contract in September.

I find the FAO very responsive (much much more than in some other places). They are on top of things with the contract, the pay, the visa, etc. If you teach here, twelve teaching hours is fulltime, so that's three days per week. The commute from Xiamen is long (of course, you can decide to live on the Zhangzhou side, like me), but you won't have to make it every day. I haven't experienced any sudden changes in the teaching schedule, in fact, we received our year schedules early September. TKK is a private college, so they can plan their own vacations, which means a full week in October and in May without those stupid make-up days. As to your finding that they changed the grades: never seen that either. They want to know if a student failed why they did so, but I think that's reasonable. One student already apporached me this year, since she has to retake my class next semester, because she failed.

The students' attituides vary, but I don't find them very reluctant, bratty or bored at all. A lot more stores and restaurants have opened up since 2006, so there's more to do around the campus. All Chinese students are afraid to speak up, so it may take some persuasion. I am currently encouraging my English majors to speak English to each other all the time and today, as I biked passed a few from behind, I heard them speak English. Naturally, some are more motivated than others, but were wouldn't you find that? My attendance records are almost impeccable. Seriously, I find the students quite responsive and responsible. You may not agree with the Chinese way - neither do I - but you have to understand what a leap it is for them to experience a western teacher with western methods. Class sizes are still up to 30 per class, which isn't good, but it's like that pretty much all over China (or worse).

On the up side as well:
- multimedia in every classroom
- online blackboard for posting materials for your students
- excellent pay
- free cell phone service (you pay for calls)
- a Chinese student assistant for translation and teaching Chinese
- office with computer and internet (printing + copying facilities nearby)
- clean campus with a teacher's rec room
- free transport to Xiamen at certain times during weekdays

I don't want to sound like an ad, but I really enjoy it here. And no, I'm not a Chinese office worker, I really am a foreign teacher. Email me if you don't believe me.