Ministry of Education "If It Becomes Educational Material, Education Gap"
Ruling Party Proposed 'Referral to 2nd Subcommittee' but Not Passed
The bill downgrading the status of AI digital textbooks promoted by the Ministry of Education to "educational materials" has passed the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, leaving only the plenary session ahead. The Ministry of Education's policy is now at risk of being halted, as the AI digital textbooks have already completed certification and are preparing for training and school-by-school adoption.
On the 17th, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary meeting and passed the amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with 11 votes in favor and 7 against. This bill, proposed by Democratic Party members Ko Min-jeong and Moon Jeong-bok, was passed last month on the 28th in the National Assembly's Education Committee, led by the opposition party.
The opposition party, which led the proposal and passage of the bill, holds the position that the introduction of AI digital textbooks should be approached cautiously. If defined as educational materials rather than textbooks, schools can choose to adopt them voluntarily rather than mandatorily. Moon, the Education Committee's secretary, attended the meeting and pointed out that the budget for AI digital textbooks was hastily prepared, stating, "In a situation where even mobile phones are being confiscated at school, is it really appropriate to provide AI digital devices to students during class?" He added, "There is a question of whether AI digital textbooks can truly guarantee literacy skills and similar competencies that paper textbooks provide when distributed to all students."
The Ministry of Education expressed concerns that if the AI digital textbooks, which have already passed certification and are scheduled for introduction in March next year, suddenly lose their status and become "educational materials," confusion at the field level could arise. They also pointed out that as these materials would no longer be textbooks, the cost burden could be shifted to students, potentially exacerbating educational disparities.
Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, emphasized at the plenary meeting, "The competencies our children truly need now are on a different level from those we acquired through education in the past," adding, "We must change the education system quickly so that future generations can develop the capabilities to expand globally." He further stated, "This bill raises serious concerns as it could cause additional confusion that hinders educational development."
The People Power Party also requested referral to the second subcommittee, arguing that if AI digital textbooks are classified as educational materials and incur costs, it could undermine the value of 'free education.' Given the sensitivity of the issue, they believe further discussion at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee level is necessary rather than immediate approval. Yoo Sang-beom, the People Power Party member and secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said, "Considering the constitutional principle that compulsory education is free, the constitutional principle must be properly upheld when adopting AI digital textbooks," adding, "The moment these are relegated to reference materials, it clearly contradicts the constitutional principles of free education and educational equality."
However, with the majority of opposition party members supporting the bill, it is headed to the plenary session. There is a high possibility that the bill will pass in the plenary session under the opposition party's leadership. After the bill's passage, the Ministry of Education issued a statement saying, "We actively explained that AI digital textbooks should maintain their status as textbooks, but we regret that the bill was approved," and added, "Since the plenary session remains, we will do our best to communicate and persuade the National Assembly before the plenary session."
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