CLAIR (who set the guidelines for contracting organizations like your BOE) has no official policy on Study Leave. AJET is pushing them to establish guidelines, rules such as “JETs should be allowed to apply for study leave under these conditions…” but nothing has been made yet. This means that it is completely up to your Contracting Organization, and since we all have different contracting organizations, there’s a good chance that you’ll know some JETs who get study leave while your go-between will tell you that it doesn’t exist.
The best advice we can give you is that it never hurts to ask, but don’t get your hopes up. If they say yes, make the most of the experience and do everything they ask you to do (homework, reports, etc). Other contracting organizations might hear about it, and if it sounds like a positive experience for the school and the JET, they may consider changing their policies. If they say no, try to remember that we were never promised study leave, and best of luck whiling away those days with nothing to do.
