Discord Between Lee Administration and Yoon's Education Policy Emerges
President Lee Pledges AIDT as Educational Material
Ministry of Education: "Certification Process Proceeding as Announced Last Year"
Publishers Required to Pay Tens of Millions of Won in Fees
There are signs of discord between the new administration and government ministries regarding the Artificial Intelligence Digital Textbook (AIDT), which was introduced this year as part of the policies pursued by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. During his presidential campaign, President Lee Jaemyung pledged to designate the AIDT as educational material. However, the Ministry of Education has begun the certification review process based on the current status of AIDT as an official textbook.
According to the education sector on June 13, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity have recently initiated the AIDT certification and re-certification procedures in accordance with the 'Regulations on Textbooks.' For the next year, fifth and sixth grade elementary students and second-year middle school students in English and mathematics, who will be newly subject to AIDT, must undergo a new certification process. Subjects that already adopted AIDT this year?third and fourth grade elementary students, first-year middle and high school students in English, mathematics, and information?are subject to re-certification.
The issue is that the newly inaugurated Lee Jaemyung administration pledged to define AIDT not as a 'textbook' but as 'educational material.' A revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reflecting this change has also recently been referred to the National Assembly's Education Committee subcommittee, and discussions are expected to begin soon. While the certification process is underway, there is a high possibility that AIDT will lose its status as an official textbook. Despite this unstable situation, AIDT publishers are required to pay tens of millions of won in fees to undergo certification and re-certification reviews.
Concerns about this situation have also been raised in the National Assembly. On June 11, Kang Kyungsook, a member of the Innovation Party for the Fatherland, asked Oh Seokhwan, Vice Minister of Education, at a full meeting of the Education Committee, "Teachers, parents, and textbook publishers still do not know under what qualifications AIDT is being operated. How could you proceed with the certification schedule under such circumstances?" Vice Minister Oh replied, "The certification schedule is proceeding as announced last year," adding, "With the new administration in place, once its policy direction is determined, we will finalize and proceed with specific matters, including the certification schedule."
Teachers' organizations have also called for a halt to the AIDT certification process. The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union stated, "Lee Jooho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, did not attend the National Assembly's emergency inquiry regarding the Reeboks School incident, explaining that he is currently performing only the minimum duties as acting Prime Minister." The union criticized, "Is enforcing AIDT certification something that a temporary cabinet member should be doing?" They further urged, "Minister Lee, who has already expressed his intention to resign and is serving as an interim cabinet member, should immediately suspend the AIDT certification and re-certification procedures."
Amid these developments, the Board of Audit and Inspection has also begun an audit of the AIDT introduction process. Previously, in February, the National Assembly plenary session passed a request for an audit of the AIDT introduction process. The request includes: ▲ the legal framework for textbooks and the AIDT introduction plan, ▲ the Ministry of Education's process for introducing AIDT for the 2025 academic year, and ▲ an audit of the transparency and fairness of the AIDT certification process.
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