South Korea aspires for an AI-driven future, yet educational institutions struggle to equip the upcoming generation to lead in this domain
South Korea, a nation striving to be a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI), is facing challenges in implementing AI education within its schools. Despite years of promises to boost numbers, the country only has nine universities with computer education departments, admitting a total of 193 students each year.
One of the biggest obstacles to the implementation of AI education is the lack of qualified teachers. This issue is highlighted by opposition lawmaker Lee Jeong-heon, who states that AI talent cannot grow without more qualified computer teachers. In many schools, AI lessons are assigned to teachers from other subjects or rotated among as many as 10 schools, indicating a shortage of specialists in the field.
The current information studies curriculum in South Korea was revised in 2022, before the release of ChatGPT later that year. However, today's textbooks do not address generative AI, leaving teachers to create their own supplementary materials.
High school students may not take any computer studies classes at all, as information studies is an elective. Coding will become a mandatory subject in middle schools from 2025 and in elementary schools from 2026. This move is part of a national drive to expand AI talent, as the government prepares a nationwide AI literacy program that would cover everyone from preschoolers to soldiers and the general workforce.
The government plans to fund this AI literacy program by raising the education tax rate on financial and insurance firms from 0.5% to 1%. This increase is projected to generate 1.3 trillion won ($943 million) annually.
The debate over the focus of AI education is ongoing. Some argue that it should emphasise coding, while others believe data literacy, generative AI skills, or ethics are more important. Regardless, the goal is clear: South Korea aims to be a world leader in AI.
Comparatively, Britain devotes 374 hours, Japan 405 hours, and Beijing 212 hours to computer studies, according to international education data. South Korea lags behind, with computer studies accounting for only 0.58% of total instruction time in elementary school and about 2% in middle school.
Universities in South Korea involved in training teachers to teach artificial intelligence include Sungkyunkwan University. As the country moves towards a more AI-focused future, the need for qualified teachers and a comprehensive curriculum will become increasingly crucial.
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