KTU: "Pressure to Adopt AI Textbooks Is Abuse of Authority"
Kang Eunhee, Daegu Superintendent, Reported to Police
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) announced on the 27th that it will file charges against Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Kang Eun-hee for abuse of authority.
They claim that Kang arbitrarily ignored the Ministry of Education's official letter instructing to "select autonomously" regarding the selection of AI digital textbooks and effectively pressured the adoption of AI textbooks.
On the same day, KTU held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office and announced that the Daegu Office of Education exerted pressure during the AI textbook adoption process.
In an official letter sent to metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide on the 31st of last month, the Ministry of Education specified that "in 2025, schools that wish to use AI textbooks for certain grades and subjects will select them autonomously." This change from "mandatory" to "autonomous" followed Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho's statement at the end of last year that "schools will decide autonomously whether to use AI textbooks in 2025." Previously, in an official letter sent after confirming 76 types of AI textbooks to be introduced this year on November 29 of last year, the Ministry stated that "for 2025, one type each of printed textbooks and AI textbooks must be mandatorily selected for subjects adopting AI digital textbooks."
While other metropolitan and provincial offices of education forwarded the "autonomous selection guidance" letter to each school, the Daegu Office of Education reportedly omitted this content arbitrarily in the letter it delivered, according to KTU.
KTU stated, "The term 'autonomous selection' could not even be found in the main text of the official letter, and a sentence saying 'Please ensure thoroughness in the selection of AI digital textbooks' was included, which could be perceived as pressure against autonomous selection." They also explained that although many teachers belonging to the subject councils expressed opinions against selecting AI textbooks, school principals urged selection by mentioning Daegu Office of Education's policy for full adoption, and the Daegu Office of Education contacted school administrators to select AI textbooks.
They added, "Superintendent Kang, who ignored the opinions and public sentiment of teachers on the ground and carried out unilateral and arbitrary administration, must take full responsibility."
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