Gwangju KTU: "Choi Acting President Should Not Veto AI Textbooks, etc."

"Shifting the Burden of Free High School Education onto City and Provincial Education Offices"
"Avoiding Government Responsibility in Addressing Educational Inequality"

The Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) urged on the 13th, "Choi Sangmok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Economy and Finance, should stop exercising his veto on the extension of support for free high school education and the amendment to the AI digital textbook bill." This statement comes after Acting President Choi signaled his intention to veto (request for reconsideration) two education bills (free high school education, AI digital textbooks) that passed the National Assembly the previous day.

The Gwangju branch of the KTU stated in a press release, "Until now, the budget required for free high school education (admission fees, tuition, textbook purchase costs, etc.) has been shared by the government and city/provincial education offices at 47.5% each, and local governments at 5%," adding, "If the government rejects this bill, it is unilaterally shifting the burden of the free high school education budget onto city and provincial education offices and shirking its responsibility to lead the way in resolving educational inequality."

Sangmok Choi, Acting President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economy and Finance. Photo by Yonhap News

The statement continued, "(Regarding the AI digital textbook) This policy has not provided any solutions to the problems pointed out by school members and experts (unfinished content, concerns about declining literacy, personal information leaks, etc.)," and emphasized, "Reflecting these concerns and awareness of the issues, the National Assembly amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to state that the AI digital textbook is not a textbook."

The Gwangju branch of the KTU pointed out, "Acting President Choi says he will exercise his veto on these two bill amendments," adding, "Exercising the veto is an abdication of the state's responsibility for public education, and the damage will fall entirely on students and parents. If, following Yoon Sukyeol's national rebellion, Choi Sangmok and Lee Jooho persist in exercising the veto on these bills, they will not be able to avoid responsibility as accomplices in causing chaos in national education."

They added, "The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education should also clearly recognize that Acting President Choi's veto will throw schools into confusion and should actively submit an opposing opinion on this matter."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.