Aftershocks in Japan spark confusion over exchange programme

The tsunami that hit Japan recently has affected a programme launched by that country to deepen mutual understanding among youth of Asian countries.

In 2007, the then prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe had announced the Japan- East Asian Network of Exchange for Students and Youth (Jenesys) programme which, since then, has been drawing students from  Asian countries to Japan in May and June  every year .

This year, the student visit is scheduled from May 9 to June 7. The process related to the visit is almost completed in all states. The state department of education has also received the list of eligible students from all districts.

“But we have not yet received any official communication from the ministry of human resources development (MHRD) about cancellation of the programme in the wake of the natural calamity in that country. So, we will send a final list to the MHRD soon,” said Hanumantharayappa, director of state department of secondary education.

“The trip is scheduled from May to June and there is no harm in sending students. Japan too will be sending students here. However, we have not received any information about that yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, most of the parents, whose wards have been selected to visit Japan, are approaching the department with a request to drop the names of their children from the list.

“Many parents are scared after the tsunami and are requesting the authorities to drop the names of their children from the list. When parents don’t give consent for the visit, we cannot do anything. Hence we have to drop their names,” said another official.

“Not just students, even some teachers have decided to skip the visit. We can convince the teachers, but not parents,” the official said.

Usually, students of class 9 to 12 good in academic and extracurricular activities are eligible for such visits. This year, the state education department decided to include those who have won state-level prizes in ‘Prathiba Kaaranji’ and topped SSLC exams in 2010 in the list.

In all, 50 students and five teachers from each state will be selected. Of them, 50% students will be girls and 50% teachers will be women. Apart from this, CBSE will send 100 students, Kendriya Vidyalayas will send 200, Navodaya Vidyalayas 300 and CISCE will send 30 students.

The responsibility of submitting passports for visa processing rests with the education department officials. If any student does not have passport, they have to get it done.  “Majority of students do not have passports. We managed to get it done because the exchange programme was announced in December 2010,” the official said.