WRTN calls for public-private cooperation on AI literacy education
At the K-AI Literacy Future Education Forum held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday, WRTN CEO Lee Se-young urged tighter public-private cooperation to raise AI literacy across Korea. The forum, hosted by Rep. Cho In-cheul of the Democratic Party of Korea, brought together more than 40 experts, school inspectors, teachers and education officials to share how AI is being used in learning and where gaps remain.
Lee's message was direct: Korea uses AI a lot, but efficiency gains lag. "Although Korean workers use AI in their work more frequently than their U.S. counterparts, the actual reduction in working hours is lower in Korea," he said. The issue isn't access. It's effective use - and scalable education that reaches the general public.
Why this matters for educators
AI literacy has become a national capability that influences competitiveness and social inclusion. The gap is growing between those who can use AI well and those who can't. Schools and districts sit at the leverage point: foundational skills, practical workflows and equitable access.
A practical model for scaling AI literacy
Lee proposed a simple division of labor that schools can plug into without reinventing everything:
- Government: Set policy, quality standards and guardrails; support adoption with funding mechanisms.
- Private sector: Build curricula, content and training; keep materials current as tools change.
- Municipal education offices: Allocate budgets, select providers, coordinate implementation across schools.
"With the private sector providing content and the public sector establishing fair and inclusive education policies, a real synergy can be created," Lee said.
What WRTN is offering today
WRTN outlined a three-stage pathway: basic, practical and advanced. It starts with prompt fundamentals for beginners, moves into feed-building and applied workflows, and extends to an incubator program for entrepreneurs. Through partnerships, WRTN said it has delivered AI education to 308 institutions and roughly 25,000 participants.
"The ultimate goal of AI literacy education is to help everyone naturally integrate AI into their lives and work," Lee noted, while emphasizing that public-private collaboration is required to scale and sustain programs.
Action steps for schools and districts
- Define outcomes: Set baseline AI literacy outcomes by grade band (safety, prompt craft, tool selection, evaluation, ethics).
- Audit current use: Map where teachers and students already use AI; identify high-friction tasks and equity gaps.
- Pilot fast: Run an 8-12 week pilot with a vetted provider; include teacher PD, student modules and clear success metrics.
- Budget smart: Blend municipal funds with school budgets; prioritize PD and core classroom use over niche tools.
- Protect equity and safety: Apply data privacy rules, age-appropriate access and bias checks; make support available to all schools.
- Measure impact: Track teacher time saved, student task quality, and assessment integrity; iterate each term.
- Build pathways: Offer advanced tracks (automation, data analysis, creative production) for interested students.
The civic case
Rep. Cho underscored that AI literacy links directly to the competencies of democratic citizens. Schools, businesses and government should align so every learner gains the ability to use AI effectively and responsibly.
Helpful resources
- UNESCO guidance on generative AI in education for policy and classroom considerations.
- Complete AI Training: courses by job to find educator-focused AI courses and PD tracks.
- Prompt courses to improve everyday classroom and admin workflows.
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