Beginning with the "internationalization" (kokusaika) programs like the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program in the 1980s, and the recent plans by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to "cultivate Japanese with English abilities," the quality of English-language instruction in Japan has improved. The hours of classes taught in English have been increasing and students are learning English earlier.

Not only are Japanese teachers of English teaching more classes but the number of people exposed to English taught by native English speakers in public schools has increased.

While the ideals of internationalization are lofty, putting this policy into practice is grounded, messy work. The world on paper promoted on MEXT's Web site hasn't really appeared in kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms. There are few teachers that feel that they are capable of teaching directly in English and the number of JET Program participants hasn't increased substantially since the late 1990s.

Municipal boards of education seem to be so overwhelmed that they are contracting out this public service to non-union, private service providers. This is, of course, not the only option available to local school boards. Many school boards still receive JETs or hire their ALTs (assistant language teachers) directly. But most school districts have decided to work through the private sector.

There are likely good financial reasons for working through an English service provider. You don't have to worry about things like putting the worker on the payroll, enrolling them in the public pension system and compensating them for their flight back home. All of these things were provided by the Japanese ministries and agencies responsible for running the JET Program

But probably the strongest incentive for working through a contractor is that schools no longer have to deal with the out-of-school issues that come with hosting a JET participant. Some of the more straightforward issues that would come up with hosting JETs would be securing them an apartment, helping them open a bank account and making sure that they feel welcome in the school. Some of the more complicated issues that might come up are dealing with health issues, problems between JETs and their neighbors, or a call from the local police department. These problems are probably rare, but rumor spreads quickly in the teachers' room.

Understandably, most schools don't want to deal with these kinds of problems and therefore opt with the private-sector option. MEXT and the local boards of education probably save a lot of money by doing this but other problems can arise from passing the hiring process onto a private company.

The most important one is that the school administrators and faculty don't really know what kind of person they are sending into the classroom. In contrast to the JET applicant screening process that includes letters of recommendation, a panel interview and rigorous, probing health examinations, getting into an elementary school classroom through a company that hires ALTs out to municipal boards of education requires that you are in the country legally and are available immediately.

There is such a shortage of qualified and experienced teachers that choose to teach children as their first option that many of the contracting companies are forced to take the bottom feeders of the talent pool.

Why? Well, given the choice, most people will choose to teach adults over children — even if the pay is lower. There are fewer discipline problems and the working conditions are better. Could you imagine disciplining a naughty child in a language that they don't understand?

The low pay, poor working conditions and the bottoming out of the talent pool mean that the guy who teaches your child is probably going to think that casual wear means showing up to work in sweat pants.

The writer lives in Japan and is completing his Ph.D. in history.