Thank you for your breathtaking account, which I read with interest.

I have lived and worked in China for over 8 years and what you have experienced offers no surprises. The one thing you have pointed out is that Chinese society in not Western society. There are glaring differences.

One thing that is hard for new western teachers to accept here in China is that China is not a contract society; China is a relationship society. It doesnt matter how hard an institution tries to present a contract, most contracts, certainly when it comes to teaching, are not worth the paper they are written on; and this is hard to bear for a new teacher from the west. Before long, a new teacher will be stabbing the contract with their finger. In terms of adhering to the written word, contracts offer a state of lawlessness.

You can see this in you explanation of how students / children are expected to assess their teacher. This method is based on your relationship with them, not on your teaching ability.

In actual fact, if you are faced with a class that just wont behave and the teaching assistant offers no practical help, then simply sit down, enjoy a coffee or a Coke and let mayhem reign; when it comes to exams give all you students a high mark and bear no grudges and you will be a successful teachers in terms of how the Chinese teaching system perceives you. Remember, theres no point flogging a dead house, except for the sheer pleasure.

The only good thing about you experience is that, just lately China is seeing a lot more westerners coming to China to teach, because of the financial crisis. When so many foreigner go back home with such a sorry tale, hopefully this will force China to change working practices for overseas teachers. What is needed is a very big Top-Down change, not anybody seeking to change one school or agency at a time.