Japanese exchange program

The AEU and the Shizuoka Teachers' Union have run an annual educational exchange program since 2000. Click here for 2011 details.

The program is an excellent opportunity for teachers in Japan and Victoria to exchange ideas and information about education and to experience each other's culture.

In 2010 the program saw Japanese teachers arrive in Victoria in September, with Australian members visiting Japan in the Term 3 holidays.

Japanese visitors are picked up by their host family, then spend a day sightseeing. The host teacher takes their visitor to their school on the first Monday. An allowance of $200 towards hosts' expenses is provided.

We seek expressions of interest from AEU members for the return trip to Japan. No Japanese language is required by Australian teachers for this exchange. Past participants have spoken extremely positively about their homestay experiences both in Japan and as hosts in Victoria; you can read the experiences of two members on an earlier exchange in this article (PDF 3MB) from AEU News.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognises this program as professional development (for tax purposes) and works with the AEU on various aspects of the visit.

You can see pictures from the AEU's most recent visit to Japan below and in our Flickr stream here.

If you are interested or require further details please email Lee-Anne Poynton at the AEU or call her on (03) 9418 4874.

AEU exchange 2010 - What participants thought

Dianne Le Marshall

As a first time overseas traveler, this was a fantastic way to begin. You don't have to worry about anything as it is all taken care of and then you get to explore another culture with a group of friendly, like-minded people! Actually you get three holidays in one — sightseeing, a look at education in another country and a grass-roots look at family life through the home stay visit; something you can't get on any other tour. Enlightening, enjoyable and stress free!

Peter Walker

Each member of the education exchange party was assigned to a Japanese host family for a three-night stay. My host family consisted of a husband, who was an English teacher at a local junior high school, a wife and two daughters. The husband took me to his school for my experience. All members of the party made comment about how hospitable their hosts were. I did not spend one yen during this time. It was a great hands-on way to learn about the Japanese culture. For me, parting with my host family was a very sad time. They are now my close friends and I will continue to communicate with them and hopefully, one day, meet again.

Elizabeth Healy

Was Japan just about the friendliest, best mannered, most helpful and safest country any of us has ever visited? Every day was a delight in this country full of contradictions. Textiles, ceramics and architecture reflecting centuries of history in their refinement and beauty, and then the Shinkansen (bullet trains) — also beautiful and sleek, but high, high tech. However, there were almost no computers for students in schools! Another extreme was the toilets – from squats to some which, when you opened the door, lights flashed, the seat lifted and music played. Sit down and there was an instant flushing sound to cover the sound of any other, undesirable noises! Midnight Cowboy, eat your heart out.