Job Discussion Forums

[Deicide]

The programme has not been without its problems. Some Japanese teachers have complained that participants, who are not required to have formal teaching experience or training, or to have Japanese speaking ability, are ill-equipped to handle working in the Japanese school system.

For their part, JETs have complained that the Japanese education system, with its focus on rote learning and memorization, fails to provide students with the skills necessary to master English to any level of competence, despite the stated aims of MEXT. Others have bristled at the focus on American spelling, expressions and forms of speech in the official texts.

Another issue is money: the remuneration amount for participants has not changed since the programme's inception, and remuneration is the same regardless of placement: participants in villages of fewer than 2000 people earn the same as those in major cities such as Osaka, one of the world's most expensive places to live. In addition, while all participants are on the same programme, JETs receive a wide range of benefits, or sometimes none at all. For example, there are JETs who pay nothing for housing while others pay market prices; some JETs must pay key money (a kind of non-refundable deposit for rental accommodation) while others do not; some JETs are given cars to use during their tenure, while others must buy their own or are forbidden to drive for work purposes, and so on. Even the permitted number of paid holidays per year varies, with some JETs allowed as few as 12 days and others more than 20. Typically, the standard JET contract calls for 20 days of leave.

Working conditions also vary widely. Some JETs teach 5 classes a day, while others are rarely in the classroom. Some participants are used as "human tape recorders," doing little more than reading aloud from the textbook, while others more or less run classes themselves. (Note: while somewhat commonplace, it is technically prohibited for an unlicensed teacher to teach classes alone in Japanese schools. JETs are assistant teachers, and a teacher must be present at all times during class).

Despite these issues, many JETs have elected to stay for the maximum three years and even beyond (JETs are sometimes hired on privately by their Contracting Organizations when their three year tenure is finished), and the JET Programme continues to receive funding and attract applicants. Some JETs in recent years have been placed in elementary schools, reflecting MEXT's plan to raise the English ability of Japanese students. Some contracting organizations go further and have ALTs periodically work with kindergarten students teaching basic English vocabulary as well as exposing them to non-Japanese people (something the markedly homogeneous Japanese demographics often lacks). JETs may also teach in special schools.

[Like a Rolling Stone]

[Apsara]

There is a page on Nova on Wikipedia as well- according to the information there though Americans have different visas and working conditions to others, which I don't remember being the case. It also says there are 36,000 ex-Nova teachers around the world

[Like a Rolling Stone]

Also, check out the Wikipedia page of GEOS. Obviously written by someone who works there. Like a bloody advert for the company.

[thermal]

If it contains errors, why not fix it instead of complain? You can flag an article as potentially biased. (I think you do this in the talk section)

[Glenski]

Deicide,
What's your point in copying/pasting directly from Wikipedia? EVERYTHING you posted is a copy/paste. Nobody says JET is perfect,despite its being around for 20 years.

[TokyoLiz]

JET is a remarkably effective tool for achieving the vague goal that Mombusho aims for - 'internationalization'. It exposes Japanese BoEs, schools, educators and children to foreigners, up close and personal.

A side effect of it is that it gets a lot of young foreign people excited about education, and Japanese culture, and gets Japanese people curious about the world abroad. Lots of educators, children and people in other industries exposed to JET participants travel or volunteer abroad. I've met Japanese who've become involved in international exchanges through Habitat for Humanity, sister city arrangements, and I've hosted Japanese people in Canada. On top of that, as a JET with a big apartment, I could play host to Canadian friends who came to volunteer in Japan for other organizations.

So, I'd argue it works. At great expense, mind you.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Not that many people stay the full three years.

People, even those who got their job through the JET programme, don't seem to realize that the reason there is so much variation is that ALTs/CIRs/SEAs don't work for JET, they work for their contracting organization. JET is a HR mechanism. Conferences that are meant to help in ALT training, help more often just by allowing people who are totally isolated to meet with other native speakers and break loose of their town for a while. The rational for paying people the same throughout the country is that 1. JETs have no real choice as to where they live and 2. If you live in a huge city, then being close to stuff is a benefit so that balances out the increased cost of living. If you live far from a city, then the money that you aren't spending (because there simply isn't anything to spend your money on) is seen as a kind of isolation bonus.

PAs (a JET postition) can be a huge help to JETs in that a call to a PA can save a JET from being railroaded by their contracting organization, which could happen for any reason, including if the CO simply doesn't 'like" the JET's country (normally it means they don't know anything about it and have for whatever reason decided they can't be bothered to learn anything about it).

Other than that the most common issues are housing- which is normally not good, but aften not really all that bad either- and that JTEs (Japanese teachers of English) don't actualy know what to do with an ALT and 'don't have time' to teach internationalization- even though that's the JETs job.

[wolfman]

I was browsing Gaijin Pot and there was a thread where people were bashing JETs left and right. It was beyond minor annoyance. I think there's some sort of deep seated bitterness and jealousy toward JET participants...

I don't really get it.

[kdynamic]

[TokyoLiz]

Gambattebigbamboom said,

[shuize]

[wolfman]

JET is definitely not my cup of tea, but I don't understand all the animosity towards it. It's not for those of us who want to be teachers. It's for people who want to visit Japan for an extended period of time and have something international on their resume back home.

I don't really see a problem with that and I certainly don't think the JET participants or the program itself deserves all the hatred.

[wintersweet]