14 DAY TRIAL // The Japanese Government will spend no less than $10 million on a trial system that allows parents and teachers to tack down the movement of kids with the help of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag technology.
The RFID tag can easily be attached to or included into practically anything, therefore also a mobile phone. The mobile phone equipped with a RFID tag can be identified by using radio waves, and by placing RFID readers and communication devices at school gates as well as electronic polls the mobile phone's location, therefore the child's location can be determined with great ease.
This would not be the first time that Japanese parents try to figure out a way to keep their kids safe with the help of mobile phones. Many mobile phone manufacturers have provided mobile phones for kids and it is very common for a child to be equipped with a mobile phone with GPS capabilities or other GPS devices.
While parents will always worry about their children's safety (especially Japanese parents who are always coming up with a more efficient way to track down their kids), the purpose of the system that the Japanese Government is currently trying to perfect is to alert both parents and teachers when kids leave school without permission (so kids will not get to skip school anymore) as well as notify them when they enter certain zones that were pre-defined, considered dangerous.
The Japanese Government will be conducting pilot tests in 20 regions across the country and we have yet to find out whether it will be a success or not. If it is, it is very likely that other countries will consider doing the same.