Students at Koiwa High School in Tokyo are learning about generative artificial intelligence using various devices, yet a concerning report from the Board of Audit indicates that almost 30% of the laptops allocated to public high schools have never been utilized. As part of the GIGA (Global and Innovation Gateway for All) initiative, every student at these schools is meant to have access to either a tablet or laptop, but the survey revealed that roughly 26,000 PCs, valued at about 990 million yen (approximately $6.62 million), have remained untouched.

An official from the education ministry noted that while it was anticipated that online learning during the pandemic would lead to increased laptop usage, many families chose to buy their own devices instead. The ministry acknowledged a lack of communication with local governments, emphasizing the need to explore alternative uses for the excess equipment and expressing a commitment to improving the situation.

Local governments utilize state subsidies to provide computers to students from low-income families, those exempt from resident tax and eligible for financial support for educational expenses. Despite the intended school use of these devices, local administrations are being encouraged to find other applications for them. The Board of Audit has called on these authorities to enhance the distribution and utilization of the new laptops.

In the fiscal year 2021 alone, approximately 95,000 laptops were purchased with government funding, costing around 3.8 billion yen, across 38 local governments, including those in Hokkaido and Osaka. However, by the end of April this year, around 27% of these laptops remained unassigned to students. Some areas, such as Shizuoka and Kyoto prefectures, reported that fewer than half of the devices purchased successfully reached the students they were intended for.

Particularly concerning figures come from Ibaraki Prefecture, where only 1,392 out of 4,671 purchased laptops—just 29.8%—were effectively distributed to students. Moreover, the local government has not sought alternative utilizations for the remaining technology, leaving about 70% of devices unused. The city of Shizuoka managed to distribute only 6% of its PCs, slightly outperforming Hiroshima, where just 5% were utilized.