When schools in China stop hiring inexperienced, inappropriate foreign malcontents as teachers and begin focusing on the hiring of qualified and experienced teachers, then, perhaps, this discussion about professionalism will be more worthwhile. Moreover, when the FAOs stop giving foreign expert status to every white faced clown that steps off the plane, the whole question of professionalism will be less moot.

Silverboy's characterization of all training centers as being dishonest and unprofessional, as has been noted, are mere rantings that smack of vengeance and irrational generalizations. He would have us believe that he does so for the common good; however, that he singles out TCs, and DOSs and others so indiscriminately and in a way that shows his lack of compassion suggests that he is not as concerned with the common good as he is with supporting his own lack of professionalism and that of others who fill the ranks of FTs in China. Obviously, his real goal is popularity based on his insecure need for acceptance and his recognition of his own inappropriateness as a language teacher in China. His stated goal of bringing down all private training centers in China is like a politician whose popularity is fading. Fanning the flames of discontent over the distasteful flavor of the day in the hope that it will swelter the ranks of his followers is his woeful strategy.

As more and more training centers and international schools open in China, more and more FTs are needed to "train" the naive students who believe that English is the pathway to success. That in itself is more often than not proving to be a lot of malarkey, as they definitely are not getting quality education. True enough, the school leaders aren't concerned with that. It is all about the money. No doubt about it. But attacking Chinese teaching assistants, Chinese teachers and the like serves no purpose. Attack at ninety miles an hour and you'll be met with a ninety mile an hour defense. No work being done. The real work that needs to be done can be found in rational dialogue. The Chinese government is addressing the weakness of the educational system in China, albeit, slowly - but that's China. Live with it or go home.

When everything is addressed and understood, and that includes the irrational hiring of those who have no business standing in front of a class of innocent students, change will be fast and furious. Meanwhile, though, foreigners will keep on coming here and gumming up the works. And while that's going on there will always be those such as Silverboy whose claim to fame will be his ability to focus in on one weak point within the system rather than addressing the overall deficiencies and who will do so in a manner that does not give credence to those schools who are trying their best to provide quality education with meaningful curriculum and the hiring of professional teachers.