The 2008 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
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Applications
for ALT positions are now open from 20 Sept to 30 Nov 2007 Closed DownLoads INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION FORM 20082008 JET Programme Application Form 2008 JET Programme Application Self-Assessment Medical Report Authorisation and Release Form CHECKLIST FOR 2008 JET PROGRAMME APPLICANTS The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme seeks to help enhance internationalisation in Japan, by promoting mutual understanding between the people of Japan and those of other nations. The Programme aims to enhance foreign language education and to promote international exchange at the local level through the fostering of ties between Japanese youth and foreign youth alike. The objectives of the Programme are being achieved by offering JET Programme participants (hereinafter, participants) the opportunity to serve in local authorities as well as public and private primary, junior high and senior high schools. The JET Programme is conducted by local authorities and other organisations (hereinafter, Contracting Organisations) of Japan in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (hereinafter, CLAIR)( Note 1). The Programme started in 1987 with the cooperation from the participating country governments. In 2007, there were 5,119 participants in the Programme from 41 countries (See Note 2). As the JET Programme has achieved an excellent reputation over the last 21 years, it is of great importance that this high level of respectability be maintained. Participants are invited to Japan as representatives of their countries. As such, they are expected to be responsible in all their activities, especially those concerning the promotion of mutual understanding between nations. It is therefore desirable that participants are adaptable and have a positive interest in Japan. The following application guidelines apply to Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) , but not to Sports Exchange Advisors (SEAs)( See Note 3). INDEX 1. TYPES OF POSITIONS AND DUTIES 2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS 4. CONTRACTING ORGANISATION 5. USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION 6. TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM JAPAN 7. ACCOMMODATION 8. ORIENTATION AND TRAINING 9. APPLICATION PROCEDURE 10. NOTIFICATION OF PLACEMENT AND DISQUALIFICATION 11. SCHEDULE FROM APPLICATION TO DEPARTURE 12. COURT JURISDICTION AND GOVERNING LAW 1. TYPES OF POSITIONS AND DUTIES1) Types of Positions (Only ALT position is open to Singaporeans for this intake)CIR: Participants engaged in internationalisation activities. CIRs are placed in the offices of local authorities or related organisations. ALT: Participants engaged in language instruction. ALTs are placed mainly in local boards of education or publicly-run primary, junior high and senior high schools. There may be a very limited number of cases in which the participants are placed in private primary, junior high and senior high schools through the prefectural offices or designated city offices (See Note 4). 2) Duties CIR: CIR duties are carried out under the guidance of the management in the Contracting Organisations. The following is a brief outline of CIR duties. However, they may vary greatly in emphasis and content from one Contracting Organisation to another. They may include all or just one/some of the following duties: a) Assistance in projects related to international activities carried out by the Contracting Organisation. Such activities may include: editing, translating and compiling brochures into a foreign language; assisting in planning, designing and implementing international exchange programmes including international economic exchange programmes; assisting in hosting official guests from abroad and interpreting at events for overseas visitors or for local foreign community residents. b) Assistance in language instruction of employees of Contracting Organisations and local residents ( See Note 5). c) Assistance in planning and participating in activities of local private groups or organisations engaging in international exchange. d) Assistance in exchange activities related to local residents' cross-cultural awareness and understanding as well as in supportive activities for foreign nationals residing in Japan in their daily lives. e) Other duties as specified by the Contracting Organisation. ALT: Participants who are assigned to local boards of education or primary, junior high and senior high schools are to carry out their duties as Assistant Language Teachers under the guidance of Language Teachers' Consultants or Japanese teachers of the foreign language. The following is a brief outline of duties, though they may vary from one Contracting Organisation to another. a) Assistance in classes taught by Japanese foreign language teachers in junior and senior high schools. b) Assistance in foreign language conversation training, etc., at primary/elementary schools. c) Assistance in the preparation of materials for teaching a foreign language. d) Assistance in the language training of Japanese teachers of the foreign language, etc. e) Assistance in such activities as instruction of foreign language clubs (See Note 6 ). f) Provision of information on language and other related subjects for people such as Teachers' Consultants and Japanese teachers of the foreign language (e.g. word usage, pronunciation, etc.) g) Assistance in foreign language speech contests. h) Engagement in local international exchange activities. i) Other duties as specified by the Contracting Organisation. 2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIAApplicants must:a) Be interested in Japan, and be willing to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Japan after their arrival. b) Be both mentally and physically healthy. c) Have the ability to adapt to living and working conditions in Japan. d) Obey all Japanese laws. e) Applicants with a suspended jail term must have finished their period of probation by the time they submit their application form. f) Be a Singaporean citizen (not just a permanent resident) by the time they submit their application form. Those who possess dual nationality with Japan must renounce their Japanese nationality before submitting their reply form. Other applicants who have dual nationality may only apply in ONE country. g) In principle, be less than forty (40) years of age (as of April 1, 2008). (One of the main purposes of the programme is to foster exchange between Japanese youth and young professionals from the countries participating in the Programme.) h) Have excellent pronunciation, rhythm, intonation and voice projection skills in the English language (See Note 7) in addition to other standard language skills. Have good writing skills and grammar usage. i) Have not participated in the JET Programme since 1998. j) Not have declined a position in the JET Programme after receiving notification of placement in the last JET Programme year. (Exceptions to this rule may be made in cases where it is accepted that the participant had a valid, inevitable reason for withdrawing.) k) Not have lived in Japan for three or more years in total since 2000. l) Concerning the entry into Japan for participation in the JET Programme, agree to reside in Japan under the status of residence stipulated in Article 2-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. In addition to the above, applicants from non-English speaking countries must: m) Have a functional command of English or Japanese language. In addition to the above criteria, CIR applicants must: n) Be motivated to participate in and initiate international exchange activities in the local community. o) Hold at least a Bachelor's degree or obtain one by the designated departure date of Group A participants. p) Have a functional command of the Japanese language. (Japanese language proficiency is necessary to function in a Japanese office environment). In addition to the above a) through l), ALT applicants must: q) Be interested in the Japanese educational system and particularly in the Japanese way of teaching foreign languages. r) Be interested in working actively with students. s) Hold at least a Bachelor's digree or obtain one by the departure date of Group A participants, or be qualified to teach at primary/elementary or secondary schools or obtain such qualifications by the departure date of Group A participants. t) Be qualified as a language teacher or be strongly motivated to take part in the teaching of foreign languages(See Note 8 ). Successful applicants for either the ALT or CIR position are expected to study or continue studying the Japanese language prior to and after arriving in Japan. 3. TERMS AND CONDITIONSThe terms and conditions of service will be determined by the Contracting Organisation which employs the participant. Though the terms and conditions in general are as below, they may differ by Contracting Organisation.1) Length of Contract / Working hours Contracts are for one year and commence on the day after the date of the participant's arrival in Japan. The duration of the contract will be shorter in cases where participants are unable to arrive on the designated A/B group orientation arrival dates and come at a later date. If a participant violates the rules determined by his/her Contracting Organisation, the contract will be cancelled even if prior to the end of the one-year period. If both the JET participant and the Contracting Organisation are in agreement, the contract may be extended for a period of one year, with two extensions permissible in principle (allowing for a total of three years on the Programme). Also, if after careful consideration the contracting organisation deems the JET Programme participants work performance, level of experience and ability to be of an exceptionally high standard, they may choose to recontract the participant an additional two times (altogether, five years). Thus in exceptional cases, a Contracting Organisation could conceivably have the same JET Programme participant working for them for five years in total (i.e. the participant recontracts four times). Early termination of the contract on the part of the participant seriously affects the overall implementation of the JET Programme (as yearly schedules for schools and local government offices are made in advance; it also causes great inconveniences to the Contracting Organisation). All participants are therefore required to fulfil the full term of the contract. Participants are expected to be at work thirty-five hours a week, excluding lunch breaks. It is likely that participants will be required to work during normal Japanese office and/or general school hours, which are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. Generally, Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese national holidays are days off. However, there are cases in which extra hours are required before / after usual office and/or school hours, or where participants are required to work on Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese national holidays. The number of paid holidays per year differs among Contracting Organisations, but all participants are entitled to at least ten days. 2) Remuneration Remuneration per annum is approximately 3,600,000 yen after Japanese income and resident’s taxes are deducted. This remuneration is a sufficient amount to cover average living expenses in Japan. Those exempt from these taxes based on a tax treaty between Japan and the participant’s home country will also receive approximately 3,600,000 yen per annum (See Note 9). Remuneration will be made in monthly payments. In Japan, joining the national health insurance, contributing to the pension fund programme and paying employment insurance are mandatory. A part of these costs are borne by the participant and deducted from the monthly remuneration each month on payday. 3) Side Job Prohibited As a general rule, participants are prohibited from taking on any work other than that of this Programme during the duration of their contracts. 4. CONTRACTING ORGANISATIONPlacement of participants shall be determined by discussion between CLAIR and the affiliated organisations. Participants must sign a contract with the organisation to which their services are assigned. Placement for participants with special circumstances such as those like listed below will be taken into consideration. Please note, however, that actual placement may differ from that requested. (Alternates are more difficult to place in or nearby their requested prefecture). Only requests for special consideration with regards to placement indicated in the application form will be accepted.Requests for special consideration for placement are: ・ Spouse applies at the same time. ・ Spouse or other immediate family members reside in Japan, and a move would be impossible or considered a great hardship. 5. USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATIONThe use of personal information submitted by applicants is limited to necessary use by the Japanese Embassy or Consulate General, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, CLAIR, Contracting Organisations.6. TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM JAPAN1) Travel Expenses to JapanParticipants must arrive in Japan on the designated date (for information about departure dates, See Note 8) and flight. Participants’ Contracting Organisations will provide airline tickets from the airport designated in their home countries to New Tokyo International Airport . The cost of transportation to the designated airports in the participants’ home countries will be the responsibility of the participants, while transportation cost from New Tokyo International Airport to the orientation site will be borne by the Contracting Organisations. Those residing in Japan prior to participation in the JET Programme are permitted to participate from within Japan. (This is limited to participants whose status of residence can be changed from within Japan.) For those participants, transportation costs from the designated airport or railway station to the orientation site will be borne by their Contracting Organisations. However, expenses incurred from the participant’s home to the designated airport or train station will be borne by the participants. Please note that all participants living within 100 kilometres of Tokyo will be responsible for all transportation costs to the orientation site. With regard to the transfer from the orientation site to the Contracting Organisations, participants must travel in a group with other participants who will be working in the same prefecture ot designated city. Travelling separately is not allowed. These costs will also be borne by the Contracting Organisation. 2) Travel Expenses Home All participants not seeking further employment with their Contracting Organisations or a third party in Japan after the conclusion of their one-year contract will have their one-way return ticket for a designated flight paid for if they depart from Japan and arrive at the airport designated in their home country within one month of completing their contract. Participants residing in Japan prior to the start of the Programme may also be eligible for their one-way return ticket for a designated international airport by meeting the conditions above. 3) Return of Travel Expenses JET Participants who intend to terminate their contracts without due reason, or become disqualified through committing inappropriate acts after arriving in Japan, will bear the full cost of travelling home. In addition, participants will be asked to pay back their contracting organisations for the cost of travel to Japan and other expenses incurred, and may be subjected to other appropriate actions or redresses. 4) Dependent's Visa Only a legal spouse is eligible for a dependent's visa. A fiance(e) or a person of equivalent status is not eligible. 7. ACCOMMODATIONParticipants will be provided with adequate housing information from their Contracting Organisations. The participant him or herself will be the contracting party and, as such, will be responsible for all housing costs incurred. Although the Contracting Organisation may handle the housing arrangements on behalf of the participant, all costs incurred must be borne by the participant.In Japan, prior to finalizing a housing contract, several fees are incurred in addition to rent. These include shikikin (deposit), reikin (key money), real estate agency commission, and following month’s rent. All these costs must be paid upon arrival in Japan. The total amount is typically the equivalent of two to six months’ rent. Costs for maintenance and repair will be as specified in the housing contract. 8. ORIENTATION AND TRAINING1) Pre-departure Orientation 9. APPLICATION PROCEDUREApplicants who are Singaporean citizens must submit the following documents to the Embassy of Japan by Friday, 30th November 2007, addressing the application package to:The 2008 JET Programme Japan Information & Culture Centre Embassy of Japan 16, Nassim Road Singapore 258390 Early submission of applications and documents is encouraged. The submitted documents will not be returned. Please see the Instructions for Filling out the Application Form and Checklist for more detailed information on the content and format of these documents. For enquiries, please email: eojsingfv@vsystem.com.sg or call Tel: 6733-3957.
NOTE: An ‘original’ copy of an educational certificate refers to a certified true copy by the issuing authority. ‘Copy’ refers to a photocopy of the certified true copy. 10. NOTIFICATION OF PLACEMENT AND DISQUALIFICATIONShort-list candidates:Applicants who passed the 2nd stage of the screening process at the embassy or consulate and received notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they are scheduled for placement. Alternate: Applicants who pass the 2nd stage of the screening process but are not selected for the short list. (Alternates will be moved to the short-list when short-list candidates turn down a position; therefore the number of alternates to be upgraded to the short-list will depend on the number of candidates who decline a posting until October 31.) Participant: Short-list candidates who accept a position by sending in the Reply Form and whose Contracting Organisation has been selected. 1) Notification of Placement: Once a short-list candidate (notification will be made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April) has accepted the position and sent in the Reply Form, CLAIR will confer with related organisations and place the candidate in a Contracting Organisation. In May 2008, after the Contracting Organisation has been decided, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its embassies and consulates, will notify the candidate of the Contracting Organisation in which he or she has been placed. An unofficial Notice of Appointment, the Terms and Conditions of employment, and other materials such as brochures about the locality will be sent directly from the Contracting Organisation to the participant. In principle, all the short-list candidates must obtain and submit their criminal records to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate General where they were interviewed prior to arriving in Japan. Those staying in a foreign country for at least one year continuously during the preceeding five years should submit criminal record from that country as well. In case short-list candidates fail to submit their criminal records prior to departing for Japan without sufficient reason, they may be disqualified. Certain types of crimes on the criminal record may disqualify the candidates as indicated in 2) below. If it becomes clear that there is some factor restricting a short-list candidate’s ability to fulfil the duties of the JET Programme, and if a Contracting Organisation cannot be found for the said applicant, placement will not take place. If it is determined that the factors which hindered the candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the job no longer exist, the candidate will not be required to complete an application form for the following year if he or she wishes to re-apply. 2) Reasons for Disqualification: A short-list candidate or a participant may be disqualified without warning for any of the following reasons: a) When substantial reasons exsist to determine that a participant has committed an inappropriate act of may be likely to commit an inappropriate act. b) When the candidate’s application documents contain false statements (especially with regard to medical history and criminal history where even crimes of a minor nature must be reported. (however, excluding minor traffic offenses (i.e. speeding or parking ticket)). With regard to criminal history, crimes involving arrest or charges must be specified). c) When it is determined that a candidate's criminal history renders him/her unsuitable for participation in the JET Program. In principle, this includes conviction for such crimes as DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs), as well as actions related to DUI that may occur after submission of the application. Additionally, other actions related to drug or sex crimes, including those for which the applicant has not been found guilty, may be grounds for disqualification. d) When the Reply Form, Certificate of Health, or other required forms are not submitted by the set deadlines. e) Short-list candidates having dual nationality with Japan who have not renouced their Japanese nationality before the submission of their reply form. f) If it becomes clear at a later date that the candidate or participant does not meet the eligibility criteria due to some reasons attributable to the candidate him or herself. 11. SCHEDULE FROM APPLICATION TO DEPARTURE
12. COURT JURISDICTION AND GOVERNING LAW With regard to the recruitment and application procedures, the Tokyo District
Court has exclusive jurisdiction for all legal matters. The governing law will
be Japanese law.
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