Let's Japan.org Debunking Eikaiwa and Ramblings in Japan

As a JET, this development troubles but doesn't exactly surprise me. I personally think that the JET Program is a better deal for all parties as the mean age tends to be closer to the students (allowing for slightly better realtions), they tend to be more rigorously selected (companies like Interac pretty much take anyone with a pulse and decent personality it seems) and plus the teachers tend to be a more positive bunch given that there's so many perks and the salary is by far the best.

Of course, that's horribly biased but to answer the central question it's unfortunate but the JET Program is definitely on its way out. I'd give it about another 10-20 years before it's completely gone however.

realtions

wow! I guess you had a good pulse at the interview

ZOMG hastily written internet message has a spelling error. News at 11!

I enjoy a random insult as much as the next guy but MORBO WANTS TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES goddammit.

These non-JET ALT dispatch companies are a rip off. Actually they don't "dispatch" workers - to do that they have to make a "dispatch contract", and thus after working 3 years, the dispatch worker MUST be taken on full time. BOE's don't want to hire gaijins full time so they "sub-contract" the work out. This is also a very shady business because the BOE has no authority over the ALT.

That is just one issue, there are a mountain of others...

On several other threads, and Websites. Just ignore it. It's just some pathetic attention seeker who wants to have the last word.

What I am wondering is this. Does the national government pay for the JETs? If that is the case, aren't the local governments getting them for "free"? Is that is the case, then wouldn't the local governments have every incentive to keep them no matter how much more cost effective a local hires might be?

The big difference is that JETS only have to teach about 20 hours a week and non-JETS have to teach 30 hours - as well as hanging around between classes (non-paid time).

Rapport is somethign that has to do with the individual, not necesarily the age (i.e. a person with more experience in Japan will probably get along better with students)

And if the JET wishes to stay more than 2 years you can - by making use of your experience as a JET and becoming a non-JET. This will entail taking a 50% salary cut along with a 30% increase in work - but you will do the same job.

Does this seem fair?

I don't think BOEs are planning to upgrade the qualifications of ALTs because ALTs from Kani, Inuyama, Gifu and Kasugai, Aichi dispatched by Interac are non-native speakers (Filipinos) without teaching experiences. This means that BOEs are more on saving money and not on quality of services.

'young, cool and popular'.... jesus, i know many JETs/ALTs aren't here for the experience of teaching, but why sell yourself short and become that 'ding-dong genki dipshit gaijin' stereotype (forget who termed that expression) anyone with any self-respect avoids.

you don't have to play the clown and make everything 'cool' and 'fun' to get students to become interested in english.

Now, I definitely agree that the government could do a better job with training the ALTs much better. Orientation is a borderline useless spectacle that leaves you with a better idea of what an Undokai is than what the average day on the job is.

However, it does provide a surprisingly adequate amount of resources in the form of various textbooks on Japanese (which would be passable if not for the ROMAJI ONLY), a bunch about your own country's history and wayy too much documentation about a bunch of other crap. And then there's the network that they actively encourage and is maintained through both official channels and unofficial ones. Include (partially) subsidized rent and basically you got the best deal in town.

Again, far far far from perfect but I'm not gonna cry too hard about it all told.

Hi all. This is my first post! Been observing the site for ages but finally popped my "LJ" cherry today!!!

In response to 22 year "Jet man"

Are you saying that once you get a little over 30 you somehow just magically lose your rapport and personality with the students?

I teach about 75 students of all ages, and seem to get on pretty well with every age group. Are you suggesting that in a few years (I'm just over 30 now) I'll suddenly just "lose" my personality and be unable to teach them in the same way???

Bit of a ridiculous thing to say really isn't it!!

Although in all fairness when I was in my early 20s I would have probably thought of someone in their late 30s as an old codger too though haha!!

I don't want to start a flame war on my first post but just because you're on the JET programme it doesn't necessarily mean you're like the coolest person in the entire universe....

(also I bet I'm in for some regular beastings here because after 2 years plus of teaching kids sentences like "Do you like cats" my spelling and grammar is terrible!!)

Hello to everyone and look forward to having some good old banter with all of you.

Unfortunately, one of the main reasons schools would go to dispatch companies is that they think they could get a lot more work out of the ALTs at a cheaper price. Plus, they can get rid of ALTs they don't like a lot easier than JETs. Disposable teachers.

Of course the Boards of Education are going with the Private Vultures – they are cheaper.

They are cheaper, because unlike the Boards of Education, the PV’s are prepared to break the law, cheat, steal, warp, bend and exploit.

If the PV’s ever get busted, well it rests with the PV’s, not the Boards of Education.

How do the PV’s make their money? By clipping teacher’s legal enlightenments of course. They share a little of their illegal gains with the Boards of Education, by making themselves that little bit cheaper than hiring by legitimate means, but swallow the bulk of it themselves.

Government saves face, schools save face, if it all blows up – it is all the naughty PV’s private business, after-all.

Looking at what the PV’s have done (Nova, just to mention one name), what really concerns me, is how schools and their local governing bodies can even let the PV's leach like sales representatives on their premises, where there are so many innocent and impressionable young children, let alone actually hire their services.

Abominable !

You are right on Bruce. All those financially literate whining Australians, who are seeing their retirement savings (super annuation) go up in smoke, some funds having shrunk BEFORE the financial crisis became very public by as much as 50%, deserve what they are getting, for being so stupid. What's that you say in OZZIE language again? Bloody dickheads? And all those OZZIE "battlers", who got sucked in my the "learn about negative gearing" property developer's loan sharks, well, they can all "bugger off" too. As for all those OZZIES with money in Australian banks, NONE of which, unlike most other top 20 countries, are underwritten or protected by the Australian government, AT ALL, they can all "bugger off" too. OZZIE is in charge of his own destination, and he has "choice" and if OZZIE makes a bad choice, then more fool him, bloody OZZIE dickheads.

OZZIE OZZIE OZZIE, OOII, OOII, OII !!

I personally think that the JET Program is a better deal for all parties as the mean age tends to be closer to the students (allowing for slightly better realtions),

So, as a JET gets older, their relations with students start to deteriorate?

I think there may be some confusion about the goals of the JET Programme with some of the previous posters.

Teaching is only one objective of the JET Programme. JETs can also be Co-ordnators of International Relations (CIRs) or Sports Education Advisor (SEA). Neither position necessarily involves teaching English.

"Internationalisation" (whatever that is) is another objective of the JET Programme. In the more rural areas (where the vast majority of JET positions are located) the JET may be the only foreigner that the loacls interact with on any sort of regular basis.

Actually, there is yet another major objective of the JET Programme. That is the human exchange element - the JET Programme allows a large number of (usually) young people to experince Japan without the potential dramas of eikaiwa/dispatch company scams and rip-offs. Leaves a much better impression of Japan and potential benefits for apan as these graduates go on to bigger and betetr things. There a a host of Alumni Association chapters throughout the participating countries all of which, to a greater or lesser degree, support not ony the JET Programe but also good relations with Japan in general.

JET is more expensive for the host institutions (i.e. the school or BOE that employ the ALT) than dispatch companies because the benefits are so much better.

That said, these days I am infomed that the real problem is finding enough good applicants to fill all the positions on the programme.

Disclaimer - I'm an ex-JET and am grateful to the programme as if there was no JET I probably wouldn't have had the good fortune to live and work in Japan for three delightful years.

To wilde_oscar

Pleased you had a great three years in Japan on the JET programme.

I just want to argue your following quote, if I may

"the JET Programme allows a large number of (usually) young people to experince Japan without the potential dramas of eikaiwa/dispatch company scams and rip-offs. Leaves a much better impression of Japan"

I have to argue that although leaving with such a good impression of Japan is nice, it is, actually a false impression.

I think to experience Japan fully (to understand the positiives AND negatives) you do really need to work directly for a Japanaese owned / managed company.

I have had some truly wonderful experiences out here, but conversely some terrible experiences too (being bullied and intimidated by Japanese bosses in two companies I've worked for)

The basic rule is, in many places is that a Japanese boss says "Jump" and you have to say "How High" without any abiity to reason whatsoever. This is what most Japanese citizens have to live with on a day to day basis.

This is going to sound unbelievable but at my first school myself (and several other non-American teachers before me) were bullied into changing their accents to American English. Whatever reasoning you tried to give them they just didn't listen and you were just called into a further meeting where they'd just try to intimidate you again.

(I would have walked but I'd just moved out here with my wife so had to stick at it to get some money in)

Of course no-one did change their accent and luckily the old man that was taking the lead for this snuffed it half way through the year.

My point is, that there are many wonderful things about Japan but also some terrible things too... and its good to see both sides so you can make a more measured opinion on the advantages and disadvantages.

I think perhaps from what you are saying, on the JET programme you might be a little sheltered from the negative side thus forth not get a true picture.

I'm not trying to take anyway from your experience though... I'm pleased you had such a great time out here. After changing to a lovely little school from last summer, the last 15 months out here have probably been the best of my life, even though the year before that I had all those nasty experiences.

After getting on for three years I'm still waiting to pass judgement on Japan, one way or the other. I think the next year/couple of years will be very interesting.

Anyone else been forecd to do anything completely ridiculous by Japanese bosses??

Dear Black Knight,

I have always firmly believed the JET programme was firstly and foremostly about PR, and not so much about "internationalization" of Japan's youth, since Japan has been the most successful internationalized country on earth, in terms of economic activity abroad, since well before the JET programme was born. It is very much about bringing in young folk from around the world, and sending the home with glowing reports about Japan.

JET Teachers do tend to get soft schedules, but apart from that, the only reason the conditions (salary, days off, sick pay, insurance) are better than eikaiwa is because the JET programme follows the law, and the eikaiwa bandits write their own laws.

JET does insulate particpants from the "real" Japan, there is no doubt about it, and that I believe is part of the intention, but eikaiwa is a horrible place, due to lawlessness.

The Japanese Government spends millions on their JET PR programme, but the eikaiwa make all that expenditure and effort a waste of time.

The only sensible thing to do, is to get the Japanese Govenments various departments talking, and to then reign in these merciless, souless, fly by night, eikaiwa charlatan cowboys, who throw acid on the goals and ambitions of the JET programme.

White Knight

I wasn't told to change my accent but my last boss was quite insane with some of his demands.

I had to work when I was sick, no matter how sick I was. Migraine - go to work. Fever - go to work. No voice (and I mean no voice no matter how hard I tried) - go to work. My boss never did manage to explain how the hell I was supposed to teach with no voice.

If I asked questions about how to do things he wouldn't tell me, he would just do it for me. The work hours were pretty crazy - I had 40 lessons a week, and all planning had to be done on my own time before I left for work. When I was at work there was no time to plan as I taught straight through. Some days I was lucky enough to have a 5 minute break after 4 classes or so.

And when it came to hiring the next teacher - that was when the racist side came out. He refused to hire certain people based on their ethnicity or their age or their gender. He said he wanted a native speaker, but turned down people that were not young, white females. He changed the gender rule though when there were about 2 weeks before my last day.

He left a pretty bad impression on me. The only reason I stuck it out for so long was because the money was good. In the end my sanity and well being won out.

JET = 300,000 per month teaches about 20 hours per week (plus perks)

Non JET = 230,000 per month teaches 29 hours per week (no perks)

Do you need a calculator?

Many of my mates are ALTs or JETS and they freely admit that they do bugger all most of the day.　Mostly they just sit around sending emails and of course 'studying Japanese' which is often code for daydreaming . The Japanese teachers in comparison have to slog their guts out and work weekends etc. Their pay isn't that good. And for what??? So that a few kids may not speak in a Katakanna accent? Lets face it ALTs and JETs have made very little difference to the standard spoken of english in this country. An ALT above said he only works 17 hours a week...Something to be proud of? The Japanese are either too nice for their own good or blind. Its something that all the foreigners who live here in Japan should be ashamed of.

How many ALTs out there agree with her? I've had games rejected because they might be too fun... It really doesn't matter because the Japanese don't really want to learn English. It's more about keeping up appearances than education a generation, that is for all intent and purpose, lost already.