Unified Call to Maintain AIDT's "Textbook" Status
Publishers Warn of Damages and Content Ecosystem Impact
Concerns Over Chaos in Schools if Policy is Halted
Education Sector Left Out Amid 100 Trillion Won AI Investment
Criticism: "AI Industry Grows, But Education Falls Behind"
As the possibility of halting the AI Digital Textbook (AIDT) policy has been raised following the launch of the new administration, publishers have taken joint action, emphasizing the potential for significant damages and the necessity of continuing the policy.
On June 20, the five AIDT publishers issued a press release, stating, "Recently, some have raised the possibility of discontinuing the AIDT policy, which has led the education sector to express concerns about massive sunk costs and policy confusion."
Participants hold hand placards at the "Joint Press Conference Urging the Maintenance of AI Digital Textbook Status" held last January at the Irum Center in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
These companies highlighted the legal and policy status of AIDT as "textbooks," stating, "Over the past three years, the government has invested approximately 500 billion won in this project, promoting the development of AI-based learning platforms for teachers and students, teacher training, pilot school operations, and the establishment of the AIDT portal."
They further warned, "If AIDT services, which are currently being implemented in about 32.4% of schools nationwide, are completely suspended, school sites will inevitably face immediate chaos." They added, "In particular, educational inequality will worsen due to differences in infrastructure and teacher capabilities across regions."
Additionally, they cautioned that discontinuing the AIDT policy could not only cause confusion in educational settings but also undermine the 'content'-centered core competitiveness of the K-edu ecosystem. They stressed, "With publishers and ICT companies having already invested hundreds of billions of won in AIDT development and related services, if the policy is halted, not only will public-private trust be damaged, but redundant and wasteful government spending will also be unavoidable."
They also pointed out that, given the new administration has announced a 100 trillion won investment plan for AI, excluding only the education sector is inconsistent with policy coherence. They emphasized, "It is contradictory to foster the overall AI industry while rolling back only the AI education sector. Such a decision could be seen as unreasonable."
The joint statement also included opinions from teachers in the field. Educational research schools and pilot teachers using AIDT stated, "The potential and possibilities of AIDT are clear," and argued, "Rather than discontinuing the policy, it is necessary to supplement and evolve it by reflecting feedback from the field."
Finally, the publishers expressed concern that if AIDT loses its status as a "textbook" and is reclassified as "educational material," large-scale lawsuits between publishers and the government could intensify social confusion and conflict. They reiterated, "Since the core of national competitiveness depends on AI and education, the continued operation and systematic advancement of AIDT must become a central pillar of South Korea's future education policy."
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