the people who dream up this nonsense are so out of touch that when they see that empty bench year after year, they're more likely to blame the shy students for not using the tools given to them than accept that it's a poorly thought out concept.
If you'd like to say more about what you've experienced or observed, I would be interested to read it. It strikes me as one of those simple ideas that it is well worth trying and which, if it worked, could make a big difference for kids. It's also the sort of thing where the only way to find out is to try it.