Busan education office to host forum on numeracy in the AI age

A forum exploring ways to reform elementary school instruction and policy to ensure students develop numeracy — a core competency for the future — will be held in Busan.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced Tuesday it will host the "Policy Forum on Elementary Instructional Innovation for Numeracy," the sixth initiative in its classroom innovation support series aimed at establishing a student-led, learning-centered classroom culture. The forum will take place Thursday afternoon at the Chamsaem Theater of Busan National University of Education, with about 200 elementary school teachers and education officials in attendance, under the theme "Meeting Mathematics: A Beautiful Language for Understanding the World."

The keynote address will be delivered by Kim Jae-kyung, a KAIST professor, speaking on "Mathematics That Saves Lives." Drawing on various research cases, he is expected to emphasize that mathematics goes beyond a simple academic subject and is an essential competency for navigating future society.

A panel discussion will bring together six university professors and field experts to explore three themes: the responsibility of elementary public education in guaranteeing numeracy, led by Busan National University of Education Professor Lee Dong-hwan and Busan National University of Education Affiliated Elementary School Principal Kim Dong-su; numeracy developed through questioning and inquiry, led by teachers Kim Ju-min of Okcheon Elementary School, Park Jun-tae of Unbong Elementary School, and Senior Teacher Lee Sang-uk of Hyorim Elementary School; and building a shared support system for universal numeracy, led by Kim Eun-hyeong, a teacher at Galsan Elementary School in Seoul. The discussion will focus on the direction and practical approaches for elementary education.

The Busan education office said it hopes the forum will broaden consensus within the education community on guaranteeing numeracy, and that it will continue to strengthen teachers' instructional expertise and provide systematic support for school education activities.

"Numeracy goes beyond calculation — it is a universal tool that students living in the AI and digital age must have to understand the world logically and solve problems," Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun said. "I hope this forum will serve as a milestone for elementary instructional innovation that establishes the educational value of numeracy and ensures every student has a foundation in it."