I rather feel that one's credentials are not as desirable as one's gullibility and exploit-ability. It seems less important how good a teacher one is as it is how much money or face you can gain for the leaders of the institution you work at. Will you teach the headmaster's children, or the dean's children? Will you go an teach weekends at a private school one of the leaders has a connection with, so that he can get face as well as a red envelope of cash? Can the institution get you to give speeches or do outside unpaid work? Can they factor you out to make guest appearances in other departments?

If they replace you can they then raise the number of hours they can ask a teacher to work, while as long as you are there they have to stick to the years' old standard? Can they get a new recruit to fall for not getting 12 months of pay, and then pocket the difference for themselves after collecting his or her money from the accounting office?

Sometimes it seems one's value isn't what one does in the classroom for one's actual students, but rather for the leaders reputations and personal gain. If you aren't a chump, this can work against you regardless of your credentials, experience or ability. Gullibility and naivete may be one's actual best commodities, at least as things change and more advantage can be taken over foreign teachers, for personal profit, in defiance of set standards or even laws.

At least that's the way it seems sometimes.