Harima Town, located in Hyogo Prefecture, has made a significant decision to implement a policy that will see all teachers and staff in public elementary and junior high schools provided with public smartphones starting from the new academic year. This initiative aims to ensure the safety of students and streamline communication among staff. Unlike several other municipalities that have allocated a few devices to public schools, Harima is pioneering this approach by equipping every staff member, which marks a first in the prefecture.

The distribution plan will see approximately 260 educators from four elementary schools and two junior high schools receiving smartphones right after the Golden Week holidays in May. The devices are intended to facilitate the sharing of information regarding suspicious persons on school premises and during student commutes, as well as to verify the safety of students during emergencies. Previously, schools had only been equipped with one device, leading many staff to rely on their personal phones for work-related communication, which sometimes resulted in difficult situations in emergencies or varied work hours.

In addition to the practical communication enhancements, the town aims to promote changes in work styles, as highlighted by the town's education commissioner, Yukiko Akamatsu. The provided smartphones will be restricted for use only during working hours, and there will be limitations placed on their camera functions to protect the personal information of students. The cost for this initiative has been included in the initial budget proposal for the new fiscal year, totaling 5,781,000 yen for the purchase of smartphones, alongside the development of an operational manual starting in March.