To give just one example, there are TEFL chains with foreign teachers in Syria at the moment.

I accept the arguments for generally being in countries with oppressive regimes – you can introduce a little oasis of (comparative) freedom, it’s the ordinary (if rather rich) people who suffer if you leave, and you could theoretically quit every country tomorrow over some point of principle or another – but there has to be a point where the best thing you can do for your students is to try to be a pebble that by rolling down the hill starts or continues the landslide that will hopefully bring them freedom.  I, however, can not think of one chain that shut a school over a point of principle.

Sorry about the metaphor, but please don’t let that put you off giving your point of view below: