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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic, diplomatic and other benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. Why is this important right now? Because the JET Program and JET Alumni Association may be cut by the Japanese government, as explained in this post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) titled “JET Program on the Chopping Block.”
JET alumni and current JETS:
Please click here to sign the petition
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/save_the_jet_program
(Make sure to list your prefecture and years on JET in the “Last Name” field.)
From the petition:
“As part of Japan’s efforts to grapple with its massive public debt, the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Program may be cut. Soon after coming into power, the new government launched a high profile effort to expose and cut wasteful spending. In May 2010, the JET Program and CLAIR came up for review, and during the course of an hourlong hearing, the 11-member panel criticized the JET scheme, ruling unanimously that a comprehensive examination should be undertaken to see if it should be pared back or eliminated altogether. The number of JET participants has already been cut back by almost 30 percent from the peak in 2002, but this is the most direct threat that the program has faced in its 23-year history.
“We are asking JET Program participants past and present, as well as other friends of the program to speak out and petition the Japanese government to reconsider the cuts and explain to them what the return on investment of the JET Program is in the form of individual experiences and stories. Please sign this petition in support of the grassroots cultural exchange the JET Program has fostered and write directly to the Japanese government explaining the positive impact the Program has made in your life and that of your adopted Japanese community.
“For more background on this issue, please refer to “JET Program on the Chopping Block” by Jim Gannon on jetwit.com.”
4 comments so far...
As someone who was looking into going on the JET Program should I sign the petition? It says ‘friends of JET’ but I’m not sure if they would like prospective participants to sign the petition… I don’t want to destroy the consistency of the petition so I thought I’d ask first ;)
Go ahead and sign it. Perhaps just list yourself as “Friend of JET” after your name in the “Last Name” field.
Exposure and appreciation for Japanese culture. ROI is difficult to measure, but the appreciation and good will shared with hundreds or even thousands, especially through my wife, a 2nd Grade teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Hard to put a price on this kind of “marketing” to Japan’s largest trading partner.
OK thank you for your reply! I just signed it! :D