Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

Yup, read on. Heard this was coming last year.

Kobe Shoin and the Use of Law
In January of 2007, the EWA began negotiations with Kobe Shoin, concerning the replacement of EWA educators with dispatch teachers from the private companies ECC and OTC. Our Chairman (incho) Neo Yamashita pointed out that the use of dispatch personnel went contrary to MEXT guidelines, but was ignored. Shoin claimed that since the Metropolitan University of Tokyo used dispatch teachers, Shoin was free to do so as well.

In a further negotiating session, EWA declared willingness to go to the Hyogo Labor Board, disclosing the dubious practice of using dispatch personnel to replace qualified EWA members. We were begged not to carry out our threat, but since Shoin was unwilling to negotiate on this point (or any other), we went ahead and reported directly to the Labor Board. Some of you may have seen the news clips of us doing so on TV.

MEXT changed their 'guidance' strategy later in the year, by passing "Article 19 of Daigaku Sechi Kijun," making the use of dispatched teachers at the college and university level illegal. The new law comes in to effect April 1, 2008.

In negotiations with Shoin this past January (2008) we inquired if Shoin were now going to obey the new law and no longer bring in people from dispatch companies. They assured us that this was the case, and that no teachers from ECC or OTC (or any other jobber) would be employed at Shoin.

Kobe Shoin changed their employment practice as a direct result of EWA pressure. This once again shows the power of unionism. If any reader knows of cases where colleges or universities are still disobeying the law, please contact us. The new law should be a powerful tool in stopping the use of dispatch teachers in higher education in Japan.
http://www.ewaosaka.org/eng/index.html

[BobbyBan]

I hope this law won't affect anyone who goes by the name of professor!

[ripslyme]

I wonder what kind of grace period the colleges and universities are going to have. After all, the hiring season for the next term is just about over.

Either way, kudos to the EWA. It's a good thing this was finally made into a law.

[Nabby Adams]

See now I am confused.

On another thread people not hired directly from a university were not considered professors. Mostly it seemed because the classes they were teaching were not "real" classes.

Now here is a thread that is saying that those "not real" classes should be taught by professors.

So if Miyazaki teaches for Westgate he is a "teacher" but if he does the exact same class for the university he is a professor.

I can't help see this as an example of protectionism. 10 years ago you had to be a so called "proper" stockbroker to sell shares. Deregulation has put an end to that and lowered dealing costs tremondously.
Now it's the turn of education. Glenski and others are so defensive in defending their status.

I say, lets lower the pretensions, not the quality. Miyazaki is a professor if he teaches at a uni and does so to a required standard. Which of course unless he gets fired he is.

[Yawarakaijin]

Interesting.

If these classes are not regarded by the institution as legitimate parts of the school's curriculum why would real professors be upset about ECC or others being employed to teach them?

If they are real components of the curriculum, why in heck would any legitimate university employ eikaiwa teachers to teach them?

Geez, can't they even work out what is legal or illegal in this country? If and when something IS finally deemed illegal, why the heck can't they enforce the rule of law? Sometimes I just don't understand how this country manages to function.

[Nabby Adams]

Yawarakajin, I don't think you are being fair.

I bet the entrenched of every profession in any country resists any part of their job going to any "outsider" regardless of how competent that outsider is.

You don't need to be emloyed directly by a university to produce great science just ask Einstein.

You don't need to be hired directly by a university to be a great professor.

But anybody with their snout already in the trough would never admit it.

[Glenski]

Westgate courses are, to my knowledge, not the same as university credit courses. Any Westgate instructors out there know? Westgate has its own curriculum, I think. Many other dispatch agencies don't. That should answer Yawarakaijin's question.

The following should address his other question (If they are real components of the curriculum, why in heck would any legitimate university employ eikaiwa teachers to teach them?):
Dispatch teachers have been making inroads into high schools and universities. The agencies get paid a lower amount than what the direct hire teachers get (especially if you include bonuses and medical benefits), so schools have seen this as economically better. Screw the credentials. Screw the fact that in many cases, dispatch teachers have booted out direct hires who were on contract. This, I suspect, is what is referred to by the "MEXT guidelines" in that article.

So, Nabby, I and others are not defending status. (I'm not a full professor anyway.) We are defending labor laws and government guidelines.

Direct hire teachers at universities do more than teach, too. Besides their research, they serve on committees, write and correct entrance exams, proofread the J staff manuscripts, create syllabuses, design CALL facilities, participate in hiring of new teachers (all but the dispatch ones, that is), take part in special academic activities, etc. Westgate has "English Challenge". Whoopee.

[Mark]

Not to split hairs here, but you have to differentiate between people hired through a dispatch agency to teach credit classes, and external companies hired to provide non-credit extra-curricular programs. Westgate does both (as do other companies), but I believe the bulk of their business is their non-credit program (for which the students pay extra).

Personally, I don't see any problem with hiring an agency or company to provide what is basically an on-campus eikaiwa program. I don't know what it costs, but it's probably certainly cheaper and more convenient than going to some off-campus eikaiwa. Students in the Westgate program have a class every day. When they finish, they get some sort of certificate.

The question about credit courses is much trickier. Yes, you can argue that these classes are important and should be taught by qualified staff. You can also argue that university professors do much more than just in-class teaching. They do research and all the other things that are a part of academic life. However, the Japanese don't seem to care. J-professors and administrators of universities (not to mention high schools and down the line) simply don't seem to care. It also doesn't seem like the students care very much.

So, what do you do? If Japanese universities are content to hire BA history majors with little teaching experience and no TESL academic background to come in, teach Oral Communication, and then just go home, well, it's hard to argue with them. It's their system. And, no matter how qualified and competent the O.C. teacher is, you're still just one drop in the educational bucket and most English instruction is still going to come from J-professors who are probably less effective than the BA history major.