Question: What problems have you had with CLAIR?

Responses...

No, because I have heard so many instances of CLAIR doing nothing that I did not even try contacting them. I knew that the answer would be "every situation is different" and that all matters must be referred to the BOE.

This has given me the impression that these people do not really care about the problems that exist in the JET community and that they are just a buereacratic body that is only concerned with luring foreigners here.

Don't have much contact with them

CLAIR is wonderful when it comes to publishing and offering information unless personally asked for it. Then I just get all the bureaucratic go-around.

The help lines are also not so helpful - unfortunately.

I have called clair a number of times about a number of issues, however they do not deal with families or their problems. So I have set this mail group up to help other JETs with dependants and families.

I still have a question outstanding, waiting for a response from clair. It wouldn't surprise me if I don't hear from them at all. Plus we have a CIR adviser, who I can't take seriously, everybody here is so young, and it is probably the first job many of these kids have had. How can I get people like this to actually take my situation seriously and lobby for information?

I'm not asking for much. Basically a guidebook on bringing children out here, distributed to both JETs with families and to their supervisors.

I have found one decent information webpage on childcare and youth issues for children, it's one produced by my state government at home that I have been passing around to FamilyJETs mail group.

Clair's decision making process - it's complete lack of consultation with those who will be affected by their decisions - is just amazing. Suddenly, they decided to restrict the Japanese language courses only to those who hand all their assignments in - half way through the course, after I had failed to hand in a couple of assignments.

When I needed help with my BOE actually I felt it would be better for my sanity to leave in Dec. Clair tried to scare me into staying. They told how much money I would owe my BOE. They did not even address my problem. The acted as though I was the problem and I was just going through culture shock. They game no useful advice not even a number to a support line. I finally spoke to my AP and her boss came out to speak to my BOE. It was a very big deal and my BOE did not treatment better just differently. They never apologized just told me that I misunderstood the situation. "Hmm let me see, I misunderstood you talking to my breast, yup you are right my mistake"!

they are completely clueless about who they are dealing with in ALTs, they need to be far more down to earth in thier whole attitude. take for example the "reasons not to renew" section in the news letter from the winter. They said something like, "putting off the rest of your life is not a reason to stay on JET". The vast majority of JETS are here doing just that, Clair behaves as if they've no idea who thier audience is.

They are totally useless and tell you everything is out of their hands.

Firstly they gave me advice to do whatever the police told me to regarding a speeding fine (the police wanted me to go to the police station for a day so they could harass me/use me as a clown etc). I later phoned my embassy who thankfully sorted the whole thing out for me.

Another time I phoned CLAIR with a question and was met with "Does your BOE know that you are making this call". I don't like being intimidated, and this was blatant.

I am of the belief that CLAIR exists not to protect us, but to protect the interests of the establishment.

They never return phone calls. And cut you off unless you cry.

After the Kagoshima kencho JET supervisor was a complete asshole, told me I couldn't sign up for the pedagagoy course, and then threw out my advanced course application form, they did nothing. Didn't try to get me into the course, didn't help me get copies, didn't return my calls, didn't tell me it was impossible to get me in until February.

But they need to make some kind of assessment that really measures the host schools/supervisors/ALT's ideas, feelings about their experiences. Such a uniform evaluation given at mid-year or even the strict suggestion that each ALT sould be granted a meeting at mid-year with their supervisor/whoever whould help air out and give opportunity to what those involved need to sayl.

My problems with them would amount to lack of support.

I'm a TOA this year. This isn't really a huge problem, but just a complaint, that is typical of my school too...

We had to pay our own transportation to Tokyo for an orientation meeting, and the money for it was given to us by bank transfer. This is all well and good, except that the money was given to us only one or two days before the meeting. I guess they assumed that everyone had five man or more to drop on plane tickets just hanging around. It was true for me, but we didn't find out how much they were giving us until the money showed up in our bank accounts...so we didn't know if we were overspending or not. I think there's an assumption that all JETs have lots of money, which isn't true. Our salary is high, but many of us have debts and expenses from home, and we don't always have lots of money on hand.

Clair washes their hands of everything.

I phoned them about a very serious matter. The person who I spoke to was unable to help. I said "please could I speak to your superior" and they refused.

The language course is really bad.

Housing
go-between-not informing me of what was happening, lack of enthusiasm for teaching English (ie they wouldn't team teach), lack of assistance with my suggestions.
Nenkyu for everything ie Dr visits, school lunch parties (although all the other staff have the same procedure)

Nobody having any time to discuss anything-unavailability
No orientation
My request for a English Dept meeting shelved
No documentation from predecessor (only a drawer full of random lesson plans) ie regarding exam eg's, syllabus etc

They refuse to do anything.

I haven't had many dealings with CLAIR, but in the matter of leaving the Kobe Renewer's Conference for a doctor's appointment for my broken foot, they were very accommodating.

After leaving, Clair managed to negotiate a week of unpaid leave. Obviously, this was a joke. NOT CLAIR's fault.

Up until recently i have been communication with one particular person at CLAIR. However, CLAIR are unwilling to take any action. THere standard blurb is that we are only an advisory body. However, i feel they can do a lot more than they are admitting.

I asked to remain on the JET scheme as i left under exceptional circumstances but they refused to do this. I consider this highly unjust

Their advice to me about being beaten was "write a letter to your school". They didn't offer to talk to anyone, or get any kind of dialogue started until after I wrote a letter to my school. Of course, my completely monolingual work environment is going to greatly enjoy a letter in English...

My response was "no." The reason I haven't had any problems with CLAIR is because I avoid them like the plague. Word is that your problems will only get worse by contacting CLAIR. Once hired, most JETs seem to avoid CLAIR.

CLAIR, who the hell are they?

No, no problems with CLAIR, but I gotta give them a fuckem as well for being totally useless.

My BOE fudged the reservations for the renewers conference in Tokyo. I got my own room on Sunday night and paid for it myself. I asked CLAIR if they could write me a letter telling my BOE what happened and to reimburse me and CLAIR just said they can ask but not demand. That they had no real authority over BOE's. What are you there for then? Useless.

The renewers conference is the same every year, and offers little or nothign new--I'm not saying that I dind't learn anything new, but the conference isn't very cost-effective when you comapre the effectiveness of learning vs. cost.