[One Year of the Lee Jaemyung Administration] AI Integrates into Classrooms... Expansion of Free Early Childhood Education and Care

Ministry of Education Announces Achievements on First Anniversary of New Administration
7,000 Leading AI Teachers to Be Trained This Year
Expansion of Education and Care Services... Enactment of Democratic Citizenship Education Act

Three out of every ten elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide have been designated as institutions that either operate curricula utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) or conduct research on AI education models. The number of leading teachers specializing in AI who will serve as leaders in AI education is also set to increase to 7,000 this year.

Kyojin Choi, Minister of Education Yonhap News

On May 20, Kyojin Choi, Minister of Education, held a press conference at the Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, presenting the educational achievements of the first year of the Lee Jaemyung administration and outlining future plans.

First, the Ministry of Education expanded its support for AI education by designating up to 3,307 AI-focused schools and AI/digital research and lead schools across the country’s elementary, middle, and high schools. This represents 27.7% of all schools nationwide. In addition, through the Digital Saessak (Seedling) program, the ministry increased opportunities for approximately 317,000 students to experience AI education in after-school and other settings.

The student-led educational model that develops creative problem-solving skills is also spreading through the AI convergence education (STEAM) club initiative. STEAM clubs engage students in applying knowledge learned in class to real-world problems by integrating multiple disciplines. These clubs are selected based on recommendations from the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide. The number of teams increased from 332 last year to 1,542 this year.

Additionally, the ministry has selected seven Meister High School re-advancement support projects to encourage the integration of AI into Meister High School curricula and is providing consulting for these initiatives.

The number of leading teachers specializing in AI, who are tasked with disseminating and supporting AI education in schools, will reach 7,000 this year. The ministry also announced that regional AI education centers for "AI for Everyone" are being expanded, and the development of AI solutions tailored for education is progressing smoothly.

For universities, to foster AI talent, the Higher Education Act was amended in March to introduce an integrated bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral fast-track program, which will allow students to earn a doctoral degree within 5.5 years after university admission. Through advanced industry talent bootcamps, 4,200 skilled AI professionals are also being trained.

Furthermore, since March, the ministry has been piloting an AI conversational college admissions information search service, which will officially launch next month.

Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Education is also expanding phased free early childhood education and care by increasing education and care services. Starting with five-year-olds in July last year, the support was extended to four-year-olds this year. In terms of the number of children supported, this figure increased from 278,000 last year to 503,000 this year.

As a result, according to consumer price trends in April this year, kindergarten tuition and daycare center fees for parents fell by 41.4% and 18.3%, respectively, compared to the same month last year. In addition, the number of children attending kindergartens and daycare centers rose by about 65,000 in the second half of last year compared to the first half. A survey on parental satisfaction with free education and care for five-year-olds recorded an average score of 90, indicating high satisfaction levels at the field level.

Minister Choi stated, "We are focusing on expanding free education and care for young children in phases so that every child receives quality services and parental burdens are alleviated. In fact, we are seeing meaningful improvements in kindergarten tuition and daycare fees, and parents are responding very positively."

He also emphasized, "For future generations to grow up as responsible members of a democratic society, it is essential to cultivate students’ civic competency centered on constitutional values and to provide education that enables students to practice democratic values in both school and their local communities."

He added, "We are establishing implementation plans for democratic citizenship education, designating leading schools for this purpose, and expanding professional constitutional education in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. Through the enactment of the School Democratic Citizenship Education Act, we will do our utmost to further solidify the foundation of democratic citizenship education."

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