"AI Digital Textbooks Must Secure Funding Through Government Subsidies"

Legislative Research Office, AI Digital Textbook Seminar
Professor Ha Bong-woon "Need to Reconsider Special Grant Policy"

As the introduction of AI Digital Textbooks (AIDT) is estimated to require a budget of up to several trillion won, opinions have emerged that the related budget should be supported through national subsidies rather than special grants.

According to the education sector on the 6th, at the seminar held by the Legislative Research Office the day before titled "Legalism of the Textbook System and AI Digital Textbooks, Seeking Legal Solutions," Professor Ha Bong-woon of Kyonggi University stated, "It is impossible to sustain and stabilize the policy without a complete financial system," and added, "The current AI Digital Textbook policy through special grants needs to be reconsidered."

Teachers are experiencing the use of digital textbook prototypes at the '2024 Classroom Revolution Conference' held last August at Daegu EXCO. Photo by Yonhap News

The government is utilizing special grants under the name of digital education innovation demand, including AI Digital Textbooks. From 2019, the special grant rate was reduced from 4% to 3%, but this year it was raised again to 3.8%, securing about 500 billion won. Unlike general grants, special grants cannot be used at the discretion of the superintendent of education and are allocated by the Ministry of Education according to the project. For this reason, the ratio was reduced to strengthen local educational autonomy, but it was temporarily increased for three years due to policies such as AI Digital Textbooks.

Professor Ha explained that due to the nature of special grants, they may not be suitable as a budget for long-term policies. He said, "'Special' means a three-year temporary principle. Special grants exist for specific projects at specific times," and added, "However, the fundamental issue of whether AI Digital Textbooks pertain to a specific time or special demand must be resolved before various financial measures can be considered."

He also saw the need for a 'national subsidy' system to ensure policy stability. Noting that the ratio of general to special grants in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Education is similar, he pointed out the significant difference in the proportion of 'national projects' within special grants. National projects account for 10% of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s special grants, while they make up about 60% of the Ministry of Education’s special grants. Professor Ha said, "Local governments have half of their local allocation tax related to national subsidies, and the other half is national subsidies. Policies are promoted through national subsidies," and emphasized, "In the education sector, especially in early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, the national subsidy system hardly exists. If the policy is truly important and is to be continuously promoted under central government leadership, it is appropriate to secure additional resources through the national subsidy system."

Materials presented by Professor Ha Bong-woon of Kyonggi University at the Legislative Research Office seminar titled "Legalism in the Textbook System and AI Digital Textbooks: Seeking Legal Solutions," on the topic of "Directions for Improving Funding Procurement through the Special Grant System."