Rules of the Elementary English Instructors' Licensing System

 

Section 1: Objective of the Licensing System
The objective is to license elementary English instructors according to a unified standard, encourage the creation of a national system of instructor development and build a support system for elementary English education in order to provide a stable supply of high-quality English instructors to elementary school classrooms.

Section 2: Types of Licenses Certified
The Elementary English Instructors' Certification Committee (hereinafter, "J-Shine") certifies the three types of licenses below.
(1) Elementary English Instructor License
This license indicates that J-Shine has observed the knowledge, skills and ability needed by an instructor of English for children leading English education or activities in elementary school. The English instructor license is the basic license certified by J-Shine.
(2) Pre-Certified English Instructor License
This license certifies the standard amount of skill and knowledge required of an instructor in the absence of a sufficient number of hours of instructing experience to receive the license in (1) above. Instructors who have obtained this license can become fully licensed as elementary English instructors after the registered group has confirmed that they have more than 50 hours of teaching experience.
(3) English Instructor Trainer License
This license certifies that the bearer has the knowledge and skills needed to plan training courses for English instructors and teach instructors. This qualification is granted to persons who have passed the licensing exam held by J-Shine.

Section 3: Conditions for Licensing
In general, J-Shine's English instructor's license is given to persons who have completed an instructor development course held by a registered group certified by J-Shine and been recommended by that group as an elementary school English instructor.
2) Registered groups holding instructor development courses must submit an Instructor Development Course Plan to J-Shine, and J-Shine must confirm that such courses fulfill the shared curriculum established by J-Shine.
3) When adopting the pre-certification system as established in number (2) of Section 2 above, the registered group must make a statement to that effect in the group registration application at the time the recommendation is made, and approval must be obtained. Additionally, it must be specified in the Instructor Development Course Plan.

Section 4: Special Certification
As an exception to Section 3, registered groups can recommend that an instructor who has not completed an instructor development course held by a group certified by the Elementary English Instructors' Certification Committee be licensed in any of the three following cases:
(1) During the first year following registration of a group, persons who have previously been licensed by the group or persons who are judged by the group to have the abilities described above. (Initial period certification)
(2) When a person recognized by a registered group as having the abilities of a person as described in (1) above takes and completes a Special Certification Course held by J-Shine based on a recommendation by that group.
(3) When a teacher who is currently instructing children or students in English in an elementary or middle school takes and completes a Special Certification Course held by J-Shine based on a recommendation by a local board of education or public school.

Section 5: Application for Licensing
Persons wishing to be licensed must complete one of the instructor development courses held by a group registered with J-Shine and obtain the recommendation of that group. To do so, persons wishing to be licensed must select a group to receive training from and attend instructor development courses held by that group. Thus, after completing instructor development courses, an application for certification and other documents are to be completed based on the licensing procedures established by the group, they are to be handed in along with two 30mm x 40mm or 35mm x 45mm photographs and the instructor certification examination fee; a request for licensing by J-Shine is then made after a recommendation for licensing is received from the registered group.
2) Applications for licensing are distributed by individual registered groups, and all activities are carried out through those groups.

Section 6: Mutual Certification System for Unit-Based Licensing
Registered groups whose instructor training systems are based on points may conclude agreements with other groups using similar systems and mutually accept points towards certification. When doing so, registered groups may make recommendations for licensing based on accumulated points.
2) Transferable points must make up no more than half of the total points from the group recommending the instructor.
3) When this system is used, the number of points required must be reported to J-Shine and approved ahead of time.

Section 7: Licensing and Renewal of Licenses
J-Shine carries out an overall examination of the documents submitted, based on the recommendation for licensing from the registered group; once the approval of the certification committee is obtained, the registered group is notified of the results. Persons who have been licensed (who have passed) are issued a Certified Elementary English Instructor's Certificate (hereinafter, "certificate") and are entered into the database of licensees on the J-Shine homepage.
2) The applicant and the registered group which made the recommendation are notified in the event of failure. Please note that payment of the examination fee mentioned above is required even when no certificate is issued due to failure to pass the screening.

Section 8: Term of Validity of Licenses
Certificates are valid for a period of four years. A notice to renew the license is sent to the instructor's home one month before the four year term of validity expires, and renewal procedures are required. If renewal procedures are not completed within three months of the end of the term of validity, the license will expire.

Section 9: Reissuance of License Certificates
The J-Shine office must be promptly notified in the event that a certificate is lost. The certificate will be reissued once photographs and the necessary documents are submitted.
Any changes in the information (name, address, etc.) reported at the time of application must be reported immediately.

Section 10: Fees
The application and other fees charged by J-Shine are as follows:
(1) Instructor Licensing Examination Fee (first time only) 5,000 yen (including consumption tax) Term of validity: 4 Years
(2) Renewal Fee: 4,000 yen (including consumption tax) Renewal required every 4 years

2) The special renewal fee for J-Shine members is 2,000 yen.

Section 11: Other
Any questions not provided for herein are to be decided by the J-Shine board of directors in consultation with the certification committee.