Relay Solo Protest Against 'Educational Material Downgrade' of AI Textbook

[Financial News] Amid the recent passage of the amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which lowers the legal status of the Artificial Intelligence Digital Textbook (AIDT) from 'textbook' to 'educational material' in the National Assembly Standing Committee, AIDT publishers and members of the Textbook Development Committee staged a relay protest in front of the National Assembly and the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 14th. The protest includes joint participation from the Textbook Development Committee and major publishers such as Cheonjae Textbook. Publishers and the Education Committee are concerned that if this bill passes, the foundation for utilizing AIDT will collapse, causing significant confusion in the educational field and the edutech industry.
One publisher representative stated, "Changing the status of AIDT, which was developed under government initiative and is currently in use, is a measure that shakes the trust in policy to its core," emphasizing that "improvement, not abolition, is needed, and it is time for the government and the private sector to collaborate to create a better education system."
They also argued that "the downgrade of AIDT's status contradicts the government's policy to strengthen AI education," and that "the National Assembly should redesign the system after sufficient discussion."
They also announced a multi-faceted response, including the release of follow-up statements, requests for public hearings, and consideration of a constitutional appeal against the National Assembly and the government.
At the protest site that day, picket signs criticizing government policy caught the eye, with phrases like 'What do you mean by denying AIDT while claiming AI activation?', 'Spending 10 trillion on AI but downgrading textbooks?', '5.3 trillion investment, back to square one?', 'Is being obedient a crime for educational material?'.
This protest is interpreted as a symbolic example of the deep concern in the educational field due to the sudden shift in policy direction regarding AIDT, which the government has developed over the past few years with billions of won in budget.

monarch@fnnews.com Kim Mangi Reporter