Gwangju Office of Education: "Digital Special Grant Should Be Paid as Planned"

"Budget changes cause confusion in educational administration"
"Digital budget should not be linked to AI textbooks"
Six offices of education submit joint proposal to Ministry of Education

The Gwangju Office of Education has once again requested the Ministry of Education to allocate the special grant for digital education innovation as originally planned.

On the 26th, the Gwangju Office of Education stated, "We were recently notified by the Ministry of Education about a plan to reduce the budget for the Digital Tutor Project based on the adoption rate of AI Digital Textbooks (AIDT)," and added, "Changes in the budget and adjustments to project tasks are causing confusion in educational administration."

According to the Office of Education, the first round of the 2025 national policy special grant budget was finalized in September last year, and each office of education has been promoting projects based on this. However, as the Ministry of Education announced plans to adjust the budget according to the AIDT adoption rate, concerns have grown about potential disruptions to digital-based education overall.

The Gwangju Office of Education pointed out, "The digital special grant is intended not only for AI Digital Textbooks but also for infrastructure development, distribution of digital devices, and strengthening teacher capabilities for overall digital transformation in education," and stated that it is inappropriate to reduce the grant in connection with a specific project.

Accordingly, six metropolitan and provincial offices of education, including the Gwangju Office of Education, submitted a joint proposal to the Minister of Education on this day, urging, "Reducing the budget for digital education innovation in connection with the AIDT adoption rate infringes on the autonomy of local offices of education," and calling for the grant to be allocated as originally planned.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education stated in a press release, "There will be no disadvantages based on the AIDT adoption rate," but added, "We will take into account that offices of education with higher selection rates have greater demand for digital tutor support."