The Japan Times Online: New education chief champions egalitarian ideal

Don't get too excited about this headline. Nariaki Nakayama is only talking about money that prefectures get from the central government. He thinks that the present system should stay, and that prefectures should still get equal money from Tokyo.

He is not talking about equality in other areas of the education system like gender equality for students or teachers. Nor was he talking about eliminating discrimination against students and teachers of other nationalities.
The Japan Times Online: New edcuation chief champions egalitarian ideal

Arudou Debito files with Japanese Supreme Court

Arudou Debito has filed for an appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court to overthrow the Hokkaido High Court's decision in his law suit against Otaru Onsens and Otaru City.

They will have notification of rejection in about seven months. If accepted, it will take another one to three years to get a decision.

For more information, see his web site at www.debito.org.

ELT News: TOEIC's New Rival

Looks like the STEP people, teaming up with the Cambridge University English-langauge Test Development Unit, are going to give the TOEIC test a little comptetition. Right now the huge majority of TOEIC test takers are in Japan and Korea. Maybe the new test will give test takers a chance to take a test with more international appeal.
ELT News: TOEIC's New Rival

English lessons to form part of RP tourism package

This looks like a terrific program. I had no idea that, "93.5% of Filipinos are fluent in English." This has an interesting contextual link with Scott Sommers' Taiwan Weblog and his posting on Sept. 26, "What is Quality in English Langauge Education" among others. My guess is that there are plenty of indigenous "native speakers" in the Phillipines, making it a good place to visit and learn.
English lessons to form part of RP tourism package

Rough audience

Having a rough time with the repeaters' classes that I teach today. It is obvious why they are repeaters, and some of them are not going to graduate this year, I know it.

Had one guy, a senior, in class for the first time today. He missed the first class, so that means he has an attendance of 50%. Then two of the other seniors skipped today, which means they have an attendance of 50%. I can see it coming. The meetings, the pleading, and finally the look on their faces like, "Hey, he wasn't kidding."

It makes me angry that they are inconsiderate enough to do this to me. I know...I'm taking this personally. But the discomfort of the coming conflicts will be real.

New Zealand involvement with the US in Vietnam

I knew that New Zealand had been involved in the Vietnam conflict, but I wasn't aware of the extent of their involvement. They sent troops to Vietnam and they stayed there until 1972. No slouches there. What does that say about the relative safety of the situation in Iraq?

You can read the history of NZ's involvement at NewZealandHistory.net

New Zealand troops head home from Iraq

Looks like the NZ troops assigned to Iraq are on their way home. Very interesting story on the security situation from the NZ angle.
STUFF - Kiwi troops coming home

Taipei Times - US soldier enshrined at Hiroshima memorial

Update on the this post:
I found an article in a Japanese newspaper, The Chugoku Shinbun. The article, dated January 5, 2004, says that John Long's nephew's oldest son, Nathan Long, submitted a photo to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

Wonder why NHK reported this as news?
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I looked up this story today on the Internet, because it had been reported on NHK radio this morning as I drove to work. I was interested to see what had been written about this in other places.

This story is far more complex and emotionally packed than I imagined from the NHK radio story.

Another question is why is this story from Taipei dated February, but the NHK story this morning reported it like it was something new.
US Soldier Enshrined