| SKIPPING class in Japan just got harder thanks to computer chips that help track students, Japanese officials say. Schools in Tokyo have started trials where students carry chips that have tiny antennae and can be traced by radio. The chip are attached to backpacks and send signals to receivers at school gates. A computer in the system shows when a student enters or leaves. School officials say rising concerns about student safety prompted the idea. "More than 70 per cent of parents supported the trials, indicating there is wide appreciation for this kind of effort," said Ichiro Ishihara, a teacher at a public elementary school in Iwamura town, Gifu prefecture, about 275 km west of Tokyo. |