JET Program

From Takipedia

Table of contents
1 Overview
2 Selection
3 Arrival

3.1 JET post-arrival orientation
3.2 Prefectural Arrival

4 Criticisms
5 Misconceptions
6 References
7 External Links
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Overview

The JET program is a Japanese government program tasked with recruiting and importing non-Japanese foreigners to fill educational and internationalization positions within Japanese municipalities, prefectures, and designated cities. JET stands for "Japan Exchange and Teaching". The goal of the JET Program is to increase internationalization and English language competence in Japan.

Since its inception in 1987 (by merging two other programmes), the JET Program has grown to be one of the largest programs for instituting foreign language study in the world and the largest in Japan. Participants are placed into one of three positions: Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Coordinator of International Relations (CIR), or Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA) under 12-month contracts that may be renewed up to 2 times for a total employment period of 3 years. The number of particpants on the JET programme as of July 2004 was 6,103: 512 CIRs, 5,567 ALTs, and 24 SEAs.

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Selection

Participants in the JET Program apply and interview through a participating Japanese consulate outside of Japan. Application forms are released in early September of every year, and the submission deadline is in early December. Interviews take place in February. Application packages are rated by the consulate interviewing teams, and those that are not outright rejected are sent to CLAIR in Tokyo to decide which applicants will be accepted on the shortlist, placed as alternates to the shortlist, or declined. From May to July, shortlisted applicants notified of their specific placement. During this time, alternates are being upgraded to replace any shortlist candidates who may have declined their offered positions. Travel and lodging arrangements are made for participants in July. Participants are imported into Japan in 3 groups... the A group arriving in late July, the B group arriving in early to mid August, and a C group arriving in late August.

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Arrival

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JET post-arrival orientation

Upon arrival at Narita, JET Program participants are met at Narita airport by selected JET Program participants known as TOAs. The TOAs guide the new participants through Narita airport to pre-arranged ground transportation to their hotels in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Most will stay in the Keio Plaza Hotel, while a few will stay in the Shinjuku Hilton. For the following 3 days, participants will attend welcome ceremonies and seminars known collectively as the JET post-arrival orientation or JET Tokyo Orientation while overcoming the effects of jet lag. At the end of the JET post-arrival orientation, participants are divided into groups by prefecture and dispatched by various modes of transportation to meet a representative of their CO, usually the supervisor.

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Prefectural Arrival

On arrival in their town of placement, the supervisor will show the new participant to their apartment and help them set up their basic domestic arrangements. At some point after this, a JET Prefectural Orientation will take place. This will be another 3 to 9 days of seminars intended to prepare the new participant for work duties. The prefectural orientation is also a good time to familiarize oneself with the prefecture's main city and modes of transport.

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Criticisms

There are several general criticisms of the JET Program:

  • Many participants have no formal training aside from what is presented during JET Tokyo Orientation and JET Prefectural Orientation
  • Most Japanese co-workers of JETs have no formal training in how to utilize them
  • The exceptional treatment of foreign workers is a burden on the Japanese
  • There is a wide variation in fringe benefits such as rent and annual leave between different COs
  • A number of participants are interested only in exploiting the financial and travel benefits of the Program
  • Because participants arrive in August, they cannot take part in the important meet-and-greet icebreaking enkais at the start of the Japanese fiscal year, and have no cohort of freshman teachers with whom to associate.
  • The same time limit applies to all JET participants regardless of job performance. However, in 2007, the 3-year contract may be extended to 4 or 5 years if the applicant passes the lowest-level Japanese language certification.
  • There are very few opportunities for advancement in the JET program.
  • Because the selection of participants is weighted toward recent university graduates, COs may have to deal with problems with reliability, stability, maturity, and inexperience in the working world in general.
  • The COs have very little influence on the choice of participant
  • The participants have very little influence in their choice of placement
  • The program is used as a diplomatic tool to dispel foreign criticisms that Japan has xenophobic immigration policies.
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Misconceptions

Participants in the JET program often have a number of misconceptions about the program, leading to confusion and frustration. Here are some of them:

  • That participants are employed by CLAIR or JET. This is a false belief that usually comes up in dispute resolution. Participants do not understand that JET is basically a recruiting program and support network, and that JET has no power to intervene in employment disputes or personal crises.
  • That teaching is important. Different schools have different perspectives on how to use an ALT. Some use them heavily in lesson planning and delivery, some treat them as untrained assistants, some use them only for internationalization, and some schools don't use them at all. If your job satisfaction depends on doing any meaningful teaching activities, or being recognized as a competent teacher, you may want to consider working at an eikaiwa instead of JET.
  • You get free housing. The CO will help arrange housing. However, participants may be responsible for anywhere from 0% to 100% of the rent, with the average being around 30%. This is one of the biggest sources of frustration to participants who have been led to believe therwise.
  • You get free furniture, housewares, etc. Totally dependent on what the CO provides, and whatever the previous occupant chooses to sell or leave behind. It is not uncommon to have contention between predecessors and successors over what should be left and how much should be paid. Cases of outright fraud have occurred (failing to transfer items as agreed, failing to pay money as agreed, re-selling items one received free of charge, re-selling BOE property, re-selling property that is obviously in poor condition.
  • You'll get on-the-job training and everyone will tell you what to do. False for some, true for others. Basic team teaching classes are given at orientation. After arriving at the school, many participants find that nobody tells them anything and they have to figure things out on their own.
  • You don't need to know Japanese to do the job. Don't count on this. It may be hard to believe, but many Japanese teachers of English can't hold a non-trivial conversation in English because the English curriculum has historically been oriented toward reading comprehension, not speaking. In many offices, there is at least one person who has very workable English. In some offices, there isn't.
  • You can just get the information from the person who previously had the job. Not always. It is up to the CO's discretion whether to put you in contact with your predecessor. Some offices have been known not to do this, particularly if the predecessor did not fit in or has a bad attidude. Some predecessors don't respond when contacted. And for new JET positions, there may be no predecessor at all.

The exact details of one's situation can't be known until one has applied, interviewed, been accepted, and been given contact information for the CO and predecessor. This usually happens about 6 weeks prior to departure.

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References

  • Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program, 2000, David L. McConnell, ISBN: 0520216369
  • My Mother is a Tractor: A Life in Rural Japan, 2005, Nicholas Klar ISBN: 1412048974
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External Links

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