As South Korea gears up to introduce the world's first AI-powered, tablet-based digital textbooks in 2025, there are increasing worries about potential privacy issues and the risk of students becoming too dependent on digital devices. Amid these concerns, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho emphasized the significance of transforming classrooms into digital environments during a briefing on August 12 at the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety. He assured full support for teachers as they embrace innovation through AI textbooks.
“Digital textbooks aren’t just about bringing digital devices into the classroom, they’re about changing the classroom and helping it change,” Mr Lee said. “We can all agree that we need to move from a one-way, memorization-based classroom to a space where students can engage and take ownership of their learning. 2025 is a pivotal year for that change, and we need to leverage AI textbooks to help teachers transform their lessons”, he added.
Regarding worries that digital textbooks might be seen as a “Lee Ju-ho policy” that could be overturned with a change in government, Mr. Lee, who also serves as deputy prime minister, emphasized that the effort to enhance education through digital technology has been a continuous initiative across various administrations. “The discussion of the 2022 revised curriculum, which began under the previous government, also emphasized digital literacy and utilization of edu technologies, and efforts to introduce AI into public education have continued”, he added. Parents’ concerns about potential digital overload are also a big part of the resistance to Korea’s planned leap into the era of AI textbooks.
Mr Lee said he recognizes concerns from parents, teachers and others about adopting AI digital textbooks in education, and promised to have active communication with all parties of interest. “We believe that parents’ concerns will be alleviated when they understand that digital textbooks will be used in conjunction with hardcover textbooks and will be used in the classroom under the guidance of teachers”, he added.
“National efforts are needed to ensure there is no disparity in digital-based education innovation between cities and teachers. We will thoroughly prepare to distribute high-quality AI digital textbooks, strengthen teachers’ capabilities and overhaul the school’s digital infrastructure so that AI digital textbooks can be implemented smoothly and help transform classrooms”. He added that new changes can be scary due to a lack of information and experience.
Mr. Lee highlighted that this transformation could represent a significant advancement for Korean education and society as a whole. Therefore, he believes that the new educational initiative requires universal support, irrespective of government or political affiliation. Starting in 2025, third- and fourth-grade students, along with seventh-graders, will be the first to transition to digital textbooks. Fifth, sixth, and eighth graders will follow in 2026, and ninth-graders will begin using digital textbooks in 2027. To ease the transition, both print and digital textbooks will be used until 2028 to minimize confusion for educators and students.
