Job Discussion Forums

run-jp · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2003 7:22 pm Post subject: How do they replace JET quitters?

Hi,
Just read in Yomiuri that a high # of JETs have quit this year. bit surprised as these jobs seemed like cake walks compared to my ex-senmongakko job.
What do they say? "Look how old this car they lent for me is!!" ?? At 22 y.o. no concept of dedication, I suppose.
It made me wonder if JET ever needed replacements and how they would fill these. Since I just finished my CELTA, I am now free and frustrated with applying to Saudi schools. Is there a chance to JET thru the back door this year?

Thanks, Monkuganaino Kyoshi (honmono da yo) .... and Yoroshiku.

Aqua78 · Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Posts: 19 Location: St. Paul, MN

Granted many JET's are not stellar employees, we all had to jump through a lot of hoops to get in. There's so much red tape with the JET Program that I can't imagine them taking anyone past the deadline in December. (I've never heard of that happening, at least.)

JET does keep quite a few people waiting as alternates so they can fill positions if "short-listed" candidates back out. Alternates can be used as late as August. After that, I think they are simlply not replaced, but somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Way I read it, it was something like 2%. This is significantly lower than the teacher turnover when I was doing my 'A' levels.

Mosley · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 158

Aqua 78 is right. After Aug., if a school loses a JET, he/she will not be replaced. The school will be "JETless" until next summer's intake.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2003 3:51 am Post subject:

There's no way to join JET through the back door.

In the ken I'm in, if the person quits within a month-to-six-weeks of arriving then they can be replaced by an alternate being called up from the overseas lists. If it's outside that period then the school is usually just fresh out of luck. If they're lucky they can sometimes arrange some cover with other nearby schools and their JET ALTs, but not always.

In some cases where the school is shown to have been at fault for some reason then they're often 'punished' and forced to make do without an ALT for the remainder of the year.

Celeste · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:47 am Post subject:

In our city, apparently a girl quit the JET programme mid year in 2001. It caused great upset, and she was not replaced. The remaining JETs had to cover her schools, which took time away from their regular schools. (In our district, at the junior high level, each ALT goes to 5 schools, spending 1 or 2 weeks at each one. Her quitting meant that all of the schools had a longer wait for their schools' visit weeks.)

tjpnz2000 · Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 118 Location: Japan

JET is not the only way to become an ALT.

There are companies that recruit for local BOEs. There are differences to JET, basically you don't get your hand held. No free apartment, car etc and not JET social committee organising trips for you, the pay is probably slightly less but only slightly. But the work side of things are basically the same.

I am a non-JET ALT and I am using a JET friend as comparison. He says he gets his hand held.

T

Mike L. · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 519

Since Jet sallaries are often subsidzed it's not likely that a replacment will be found until the next round of handouts is available the following year.

Regardless, the turnover rate for Japanese teachers, younger ones, is probably higher in the public system. Many just quit. I guess the ossifying teaching staff (at one school they didn't have a Japanese teacher under 40) and system don't appeal to the "freeter" lifestyle.

In the private system the turnover is very high.

The latest scapegoats for declining enrollement and school rankings are the part time teachers. At one school my friend teaches at they're getting rid of all of their PT staff this year for this reason.

Obviously, it's their fault, not the full time staff or lack of teacher training, initative or anything that differentiate the school from any of 10 more like it western Tokyo.

I certainly take issue with much of what the article said, but JETs don't have much to complain about for taking some flack. It's a good gig!

They're starting to have students evaluate their teachers in the poublic system, why not JETs?

G Cthulhu · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2003 11:37 pm Post subject:

Mike L. · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 519

Sorry I should have been clearer in my post.

What I meant to say is that they, Monbusho, is starting to have students fill out surveys to give teachers feedback on their teaching.

How clear are the his/her oinstructions? Is the lesson interesting? etc

Saw a piece about it last year on NHK.

I had my students fill one out about what they thought were the most effective methods for learning English. :idea:

It was very useful. :!:

I intend to do one, evaluating my teaching, next term.

You are right about most BOEs not being able to do an obejective evalutation though. I doubt many, though not all, would have the remotest idea of what constitues effective English teaching. Monbusho's abysmal curriculum doesn't provide much a standard either. :roll: