Chae Eunji, Gwangju City Council Member: "Gwangju Must Become a City Centered on AI Education"

While Industry Advances as an AI-Centered City, Education Remains Stagnant
Universal AI Education Needed to Prepare for the Era of AI Talent Competition

Chae Eunji, Gwangju City Council Member.

On October 14, Chae Eunji, a member of the Gwangju City Council from the Democratic Party of Korea, called for a comprehensive review of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education's AI education policies during an education administration inquiry. She emphasized that Gwangju, which brands itself as an AI-centered city, must not fall behind in its education policies.

Chae pointed out that although Gwangju is accelerating its AI Phase 2 projects, data center construction, and the establishment of an AI gifted high school, there are no AI teachers in classrooms, and students are learning about AI outside of school.

She referenced the Office of Education's ongoing projects-AI Factory (Future Classroom), AI-ON Platform, and the establishment of the AI Education Center-criticizing them for being focused on facilities rather than educational substance. In reality, the AI Factory has been set up in 114 schools but remains limited to special-purpose rooms, the AI-ON Platform has a teacher sign-up rate of only 30%, and teacher-created content accounts for less than 10%, resulting in low utilization. She also expressed concern that the AI Education Center, scheduled to open next year, may end up as little more than a basic experience facility, serving as a showcase rather than a substantive educational resource.

In a survey conducted by Chae herself, 72% of parents responded that AI education in schools is insufficient, and 68% voiced concerns that AI education could deepen the gap between social classes. She particularly raised the possibility that disparities in AI education could lead to new educational inequalities.

To address the AI education gap, Chae proposed four key policies to ensure universality: shifting the focus from facilities to teachers, standardizing AI literacy, redesigning the AI Education Center, and transitioning to surveys and outcome-based indicators. She stressed, "For Gwangju to truly become an educational city, it needs depth and balanced opportunities, rather than just speed."

Chae emphasized, "In Gwangju, which is moving toward becoming an AI-centered city, we need AI education that does not leave a single child behind," and urged the implementation of policies that can reduce educational disparities through universal AI education.

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