Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
JET is eikaiwa, basically. I am not sure what you mean.
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Actually, SSJup81 is correct. The number of JETs, after increasing every year for nearly 20 years, has been falling lately, at an alarming rate. From a high of about 6000 JETs about 5 years ago, the number is now only about 5000. Part of it is the economy, part of it is too many JETs not fulfilling their contracts, and other issues have contributed as well, but it has meant the growth of a new industry in Japan... private ALT recruiting firms. These companies take the place of CLAIR and the Japanese govt and find ALTs for schools. The benefit to the school is that they pay the ALT less than JET does, which means it costs the school less. They also will replace an ALT who skips out early, or that the school doesn't like, rather than waiting a year as often happens on JET. (Though in response to this, JET has increased the length of time they will try to get an alternate if a JET leaves. It used to only be for 2-3 months, and it's now 6 months.) These private ALT providers also usually act as the ALT's supervisor, which frees the JTE of that job. For people looking to teach in Japan, these companies are a new way to go about it, but it's much more "no frills" and lower pay/benefits/support network than JET. More and more schools seem to be turning to them, or finding an ALT on their own, as money gets tight or they get stung by an ALT that leaves early or won't do the work. A 1/6th drop in positions over the last 5 years despite now having ALTs in Elementary schools as well as Jr High and High School is a big drop... I found out that my city of Hashimoto, which used to have 4 ALTs in the city and 1 more 1 town away, all those positions are gone, no longer filled by JET. If they are filled at all, it's with private ALTs.