The AI textbook that the teacher hasn't seen yet...Next year's introduction of 'Red Light'

Introduction of AI textbooks for 3rd to 4th graders and 1st graders in middle and high schools next year

Using their own devices, such as solving math problems and listening classes in English,

AI Textbooks to be released on the 29th of next month...Short teacher preparation period

Last month, AI Textbook's main inspection failed, and a bunch of support companies were eliminated.

[Anchor]
From March next year, some grades in elementary, middle, and high schools will use AI digital textbooks instead of paper books.

However, most schools have not yet seen AI textbooks and do not have basic facilities such as the Internet.

Amid growing concerns, provincial and provincial superintendents asked the Ministry of Education to speed up.

I'm reporter Yeom Hye-won.

[Reporter]
Next year, 3rd and 4th graders of elementary school and 1st graders of middle and high school will use AI digital textbooks in English, math, and information subjects.

When students solve subject questions, they are sent to the teacher whether they are correct or wrong, and English listening questions can be solved with their own devices.

However, it is pointed out that artificial intelligence for customized education is not utilized because it is a simple problem solving.

The Ministry of Education explained that it's because it's a teacher training version.

Then, when will the real AI textbook come out?

It will be released on the 29th of next month, and there are only four months left before the start of the new semester.

Teachers are bound to be worried because the class preparation period is short.

[Lee Ki-baek / Spokesperson for the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union: Traditional book-type textbooks and AI digital textbooks should be mixed, but there is less than a month left for the Ministry of Education to review which classes will use book-type and digital textbooks.]

Then, will the quality of AI textbooks be definitely better than for teacher training?

Many of the 146 AI textbooks were eliminated in the main examination last month, and only two elementary mathematics, in particular, passed the examination.

There is a month left until the textbook is confirmed, and there are concerns about whether it can be supplemented.

In addition, a survey found that AI textbooks can be used at least five times faster in the current school's Internet network.

In this situation, more than half of the superintendents of education in 17 cities and provinces nationwide argue that they should be cautious about introducing it.

[Jung Geun-sik / Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (last 22nd): If you think about whether it works or not, you can divide it into groups that are compared to the experimental group, but since it is a textbook, you can't divide a specific grade in half.... I should think more carefully.]

The superintendent's council sent an official letter to the Ministry of Education on the 16th and proposed adjusting the number of AI textbook introduction subjects that were to be increased further from 2026.

[Lee Joo-ho / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (last 24th): I understand that there have been many suggestions about adjusting the number or method (of courses since 2026). There was also a very reasonable proposal, so we left it open enough....]

However, concerns continue everywhere, with 56,000 people participating in the National Assembly's petition for public consent that AI textbooks should not be introduced next year, and more than 100,000 people participating in the pan-national signature campaign.

I'm Yum Hyewon of YTN.

Reporter: Hong Seong-no