Considered by some as Nihon's remuneration for the massive trade surplus accrued at the
expense of the Western world in the '80s, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
sends over 2,000 native English speakers a year to the land of the rising sun for the
express purpose of teaching English to Japanese high school, junior high, and elementary school
students. Requirements include an interest in foreign culture, mental stability, and a college
degree. (Knowledge of the Japanese language, though not required, is encouraged.) The
application process lasts from late November, when the initial applications are due,
until March or April, when accepted applicants learn their respective assigned locations in Japan.
Upon arrival in Japan, each JET Programme participant (or JET) receives a monthly salary
of 300,000 yen, before insurance and Social Security deductions. Positions within the program
are: Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Coordinator for International Relations (CIR),
and Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA). According to the official website for the JET Programme
(http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/jet/index.html), over 90% of the JET populus are ALTs. The ALT's
duties consist primarily of "team-teaching" English with a native Japanese teacher. Some ALTs are vastly
underutilized; others have very little rest time during their working hours. Most fall between these two
extremes.
There are, of course, various books and websites detailing the experiences of JETs. (One
example that immediately leaps to mind is Bruce Feiler's Learning to Bow, in which the author
writes about his participation in the very first year of the program.)
The definitive book on the JET Programme, however, is Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program by David
McConnell. A remarkably fair-handed assessment of JET's weaknesses, strengths, and overall efficacy,
the tome includes viewpoints from a variety of interested parties,
ranging from government officials responsible for the creation of the program to the actual participants
themselves. Although the sponsors of the program (the Ministries of Education, Foreign Affairs, and Home Affairs)
are notoriously reluctant to grant access to the inner workings of JET, Mr. McConnell was able to spend
two years in Japan observing the program. His notes on the mechanics of the program on the national, prefectural, and
local levels provide a fascinating glimpse into Japanese government and how it works. Importing Diversity
is essential for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the JET Programme
and Japanese society in general. Two especially memorable observations:
- The three ministries sponsoring the program have very different ideas on what it should accomplish.
The Ministry of
Education believes the program is intended to help Japanese students more effectively master verbal English, while
the Ministry of Home Affairs believes the program's purpose is to globalize Japan, and give the people of Japan a
taste of undiluted Western culture. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, though, believes the JET Programme exists to
give participants a good impression of Japan that they can take back to their home countries. The results of this
difference in opinions are chronicled in Mr. McConnell's book.
- The JET Programme is the only major initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Education that hasn't been
officially opposed by the Japanese teachers' union since the union was founded during the 1950s.