A new School year begins in March of 2025, and the South Korean government announced that it is scaling back on its plans to implement AI-driven digital textbooks for the classroom. The digital conversion of paper-based books for mathematics, English and informatics courses will go ahead as planned for third- and fourth-grade students, seventh-graders and first-year high school students. However, implementing AI-powered digital social studies and science textbooks will be pushed back for a year. These will be applied in classrooms in 2027. Also, Korean language, technology, and home economics textbooks will not be part of the conversion.
The Ministry cited feedback from teachers and the National Superintendents’ Association as a significant factor in the delay, noting the need for tailored learning tools that better align with the pedagogical demands of individual subjects. However, disparities in digital proficiency among educators and the limited time frame to familiarize them with the final textbook versions raise questions about classroom readiness. Additionally, a recent legislative change by the National Assembly, which reclassified AI digital textbooks as supplementary educational materials rather than core textbooks, complicates their mandatory use in schools.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho dismissed the plan’s concerns, saying that AI digital textbooks aim to enhance classroom participation and help students understand concepts more efficiently.”Teachers can better understand their students’ learning abilities and encourage active learning by creating lessons that make them more dynamic, such as through active discussions or classes that require teaming up with peers,” Lee told reporters during Friday’s press briefing.
“Unlike gadgets for entertainment purposes like social media, AI digital textbooks are used for educational purposes and aim to increase student participation in class. (The government) also plans to enhance education on digital citizenship so that students can use digital technologies responsibly and productively,” according to Lee.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
