Before you can even apply you have to have it approved by your school, because they have to approve the trip to otsu (for us in shiga that is easy but people come form all over japan) and also they have to pay for you.

So just talk to your supervisor and or your BOE make sure they are ok with you applying and then good luck.

mark

Before you can even apply you have to have it approved by your school, because they have to approve the trip to otsu (for us in shiga that is easy but people come form all over japan) and also they have to pay for you.

So just talk to your supervisor and or your BOE make sure they are ok with you applying and then good luck.

mark

hey mark, if I remember correctly, kencho hired High School ALTs cannot apply for the pedagogy course because shiga kencho will not agree to pay for the seminar.  Is that still true? 

If so, can we talk to the guys up there about letting us go at our own expensive, a little 自己負担?  Since we are pretty fortunate to be living in the prefecture where the seminar takes place, can we please use reason to plead with the "no" hanko on our ability to apply and pay our commuting fees (since many of us could stay at home, or with a friend near Otsu/Katata and not even need to stay at the center)?  

Peace, Salem 

Just read the guide book, it's all written there - pages 21, 22 and 48

You may not pay for the course yourself, and you will be partecipating in the seminar as part of your work duties - so your contracting organisation MUST pay the fees, and you don't need to take leave.

Yeah, but the hope is that maybe the prefecture would "pay for it" and those of us wanting to take course could reimburse the prefecture.  There are at least a few of us who want to take the course but haven't been able to in the past because the prefecture doesn't have the budget for it.  It's especially frustrating since the classes are located here in Shiga Prefecture (a 5 minute walk from my father-in-law's house no less) but we aren't allowed to take the course.

Justin, I know what you mean, and I certainly hope you guys will be able to take the course if you wish to do so. 

However, asking  the contracting organisation to pay  then you reinburse it it's a bit problematic: how are they going to accept money from you/ give you a receipt / pay for a course they might not have planned budget for etc.? How are they going to register incoming and outgoing money?

Also  "we have no budget, sorry" is not the only reason contracting organisation might not allow you to take the course; the contracting organisation might simply not be interested in you taking the course, even if you want to (happening right now to a CIR friend).

Maybe if there are enough of us who want to take the course this year, I hear at least 3 voices already, we could petition the BOE and CLAIR to let us go at our own expense.  It wasn't even that much from what I read, between 1~2 man.  Can we get a head count of those interested?

I think I hear Justin, Elisa CIR friend (Elisa, can we invite this person to the dialogue?), and myself.

I thought I talked to Marc about it a year or so ago.  Marc, will you join the picket line?

well, my friend is in Aomori....

06/04/08 11:30am --> this is what i was just told

Kencho Hired JETs can apply for these courses. But there is a problem. They only have the budget to send two people. This is where the problem is. Before you can take the tests and fully apply for these courses you have to have the ok from kencho that they will pay. But say 5 people apply and all 5 get accepted and they can only send 2 who do they select. First come first serve is not really a good option becuse sometimes your schools dont get information to you as fast as others.

Another problem i see is that if they only let two people apply because that is all they have the budget for, what happens if neither of them get in, then no one uses the money and maybe one of the other people that wanted to apply would be upset for not even being allowed to try. We are trying to think of a solution now, but I would also like to ask for your imput. If you would like to post it here or email me any suggestions directly that would be much appreciated. However paying for yourself is not an option, we have called clair and they have told us that it is against policy. If you have questions as to why it would be best to contact CLAIR directly. Who knows maybe Salems plan may work if you get enough people.

I think it has been the same in other years and maybe that is why people were not allowed to go, becuse they could not find a solution to this problem.    *rock paper scissors anyone?*

I know the deadline is fast approaching so we need to figure it out asap. Also if we only get one or two applications then it will all be good and there really wont be a problem. But if we get 4 or 5 is when things get difficult.

~MARK 

I personally would still like to petition CLAIR to let me go at their own cost.  The course I did at the Saitama center during Haruyasumi was somewhat like that (classes + room and board was paid for by CLAIR : transportation, food, etc was 自己負担).  Many people I talked to at that course had done the pedagogy course in Otsu earlier in the year, and said it was pretty similar...seems strange that CLAIR organizes them so completely differently.  So I can write up a letter, but I don't know the most effective way to get it out to JETs.  I could send something out to all of SHIGA JETs here, but not everyone checks it.  I could maybe use my AJET "charms" to get something out to all JETs in the country, although I don't yet know how to use that magic.  I'll try to figure it out though

In case that fails, at least for this year in Shiga, how many people are interested in the course?  Can we get a head count?  If there are a lot, Marc's idea isn't bad, junken?  What about people who are applying to programs back home to become Japanese teachers, or future Japanese/Asian studies professors?  I know I'm one of these people, so suggesting this may be unfair, but the course could really help them out with their future professions/application processes.  I'm more than open to hearing more opinions though.  What do people think is fair?

I have another question then...What about those of us who want to apply for this program, but are transfering?  I already turned in my paperwork for the course, so I`m curious about it.  If Nagahama would approve it but Shiga Prefecture wouldn`t...How does that effect me?

When I came from Kagawa Prefecture to Nagahama for my fourth year, they did not allow me to take the course. Now that was 2 years ago so if they allow it now or not I don't know.

I think that's entirely up to your hosting organization for next year, Nagahama, but I'm just guessing

In other news, I talked to David at CLAIR, and he said that writing a petition couldn't hurt, so why not give it a try.  It just seems unfair that people who are able and willing to improve their Japanese through such an amazing course should be disallowed the opportunity because of a one-size-fits-all rule (contradictory given the "every situation is different" JET motto). 

anyway, does anyone know how to do an electronic signiture/petition?  I was thinking if people who want to join the petition just send me their name and contracting organization that would be enough.  What about the social security code of the JET World--the JET番号 ?  It might help JET, since that's how they keep track of all of us, but  I don't want to enter an area of privacy invasion.  To be honest I have no idea how to and certainly no intention to sell off your super confidential JET numbers, so I don't see the harm.  But if people don't want to give out that info, I understand too.

Anway, I'll try typing up something brief in 日本語 and get it out to everyone by the end of this week.  I'm slow at this stuff though...

Peace,

Salem

If we get into the course will our COs pay for us to stay at JIAM?

The booklet says the compulsory seminar is 5days+4nights （４泊５日）; so I assume we'd have to stay at the center for the duration of the seminar (having to commute all the way there plus having homework to do on top would be a bit blah!)

look my the petition I wrote here on ESL, please sign it by posting in the comment box attached to the petition.

Peace,

Salem

Yes, you stay at JIAM.  You'll have your own private dormitory room with a desk, TV, toilet and AC/heater.  Showers and baths are communal, but the showers have private stalls.  All in all, it's pretty comfortable.