"Utilizing Safe and Educationally Effective Software"
Includes Strengthened Standards for Personal Information Management
The Ministry of Education established and announced on December 29 new standards that must be followed when schools select learning support software as educational materials.
Recently, there has been a growing need in schools to use various artificial intelligence (AI) and digital-based educational materials in classes. However, as safety management measures are also required to prevent incidents such as personal information leaks, these standards were prepared in response to such concerns.
The Ministry of Education, in consultation with the Personal Information Protection Commission, released the mandatory and optional criteria that schools should use when selecting learning support software.
The mandatory criteria include the minimization of personal information collection, clear statements of the purposes for collecting and using personal information, the items collected, and the period of use, guidance on procedures for protecting children's personal information, and information regarding the person responsible for personal information protection.
The optional criteria consist of items such as whether the software provides content and functions suitable for the class objectives and students' learning levels, whether the learning content is accurate and reliable, and whether it is appropriate for the students' age group.
Schools are required to comply with the mandatory criteria, but they may select from the optional criteria according to their specific situations and circumstances to establish their own selection standards. Schools will then assess whether the software meets these criteria. After the school steering committee reviews the proposal, the head of the school will make the final selection of learning support software.
Article 29-2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was revised in August, stipulates that when the head of a school selects learning support software as educational material, they must comply with the standards set by the Minister of Education and undergo review by the school steering committee.
The Ministry of Education plans to hold an information session on January 6 for educational information technology (EdTech) companies and others, and will encourage companies to verify compliance with the mandatory criteria before providing software to schools.
Choi Kyojin, Minister of Education, said, "We will innovate teaching and learning by utilizing safe and highly effective learning support software in schools, and support students in acquiring the future competencies needed in the era of the great AI transformation."
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