Education and Welfare Ministers to Undergo Hearings
Opposition: "Review Government and University Responses"
"Speed Adjustment Needed" for 'AI Textbooks'
The National Assembly's Education Committee and Health and Welfare Committee have agreed to hold a "Medical School Quota Increase Hearing" targeting the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 16th. During the full meeting of the Education Committee on the same day, opposition party members launched a concentrated offensive regarding the necessity and pace of the government's ongoing "AI (Artificial Intelligence) Digital Textbook" initiative.
On the morning of the 8th, members of both ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly's Education Committee adopted the "Plan for a Joint Hearing to Review Medical School Education Following the Increase in Medical School Quotas" at the full committee meeting held at the National Assembly and decided to form a Medical Education Subcommittee to oversee the hearing.
The Medical Education Subcommittee will consist of 10 members each from the Education Committee and the Health and Welfare Committee. They plan to request the attendance of six witnesses and fifteen reference persons at the hearing. Witnesses selected include Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Vice Minister Oh Seok-hwan, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, Vice Minister Park Min-su, and Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs to the President. The hearing will be held at the National Assembly starting at 10 a.m. on the 16th.
This hearing was convened after two petitions submitted to the National Assembly's Public Consent Petition system?“Petition Requesting a Ministry of Education Hearing for the Development of Medical Schools” and “Petition Requesting a National Investigation into the Truth of the Policy to Increase Medical School Quotas by 2,000 Students”?exceeded the required 50,000 signatures and were referred to the standing committee.
Kim Young-ho, Chair of the Education Committee, explained, "The main purpose is to examine the process by which the government decided to increase medical school quotas, review the responses and measures of the government and universities, and to resolve confusion and find solutions through dialogue and compromise."
During the full committee meeting, numerous questions criticizing the Ministry of Education's ongoing "AI Digital Textbook" policy were raised. Kang Kyung-sook, a member of the Innovation Party, questioned that "AI technology may deepen the digital divide and inequality among students." In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho explained, "Technology is ultimately just a tool and an aid; depending on how it is utilized, it can have very significant effects or side effects," adding, "The AI digital textbook we are introducing this time was designed with full respect for international organizations' recommendations to ensure that education, not technology, remains central."
Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party, also expressed concerns that "if there are problems, efforts should be made to fix them or adjust the pace; change is necessary," fearing that students' digital dependency would increase. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Lee said, "We will first apply three subjects to 3rd and 4th graders in elementary school, 1st graders in middle school, and 1st graders in high school next year," explaining, "Since the 2022 curriculum starts next year, even if preparations are not complete, we have to start." He emphasized, "By the third semester next year, we will be fully prepared so there will be no concerns."
When Democratic Party member Jeong Eul-ho asked, "Many believe the time is too tight to introduce this in the first semester next year," Deputy Prime Minister Lee responded, "We plan to conduct thorough verification of the technical performance." When asked about differences in capabilities among textbook production companies, he explained, "We will conduct strict evaluations with high standards," adding, "If the technology is insufficient, they will naturally be disqualified."
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