AI in School from the First Day of Elementary: The Chinese Plan Involving 200 Million Students
China has made artificial intelligence a mandatory subject in all primary and secondary schools across the country. Starting from September 1, 2025, every student from the age of six must undergo at least eight hours per year of instruction dedicated to AI, with a differentiated program by educational level that ranges from basic concepts in elementary school to practical application and technical innovation in high school.
A Structured Curriculum by Grades
The educational progression is precise. In elementary school, third graders learn the fundamentals of AI; in fourth grade, they move on to data and coding; in fifth grade, intelligent agents and algorithms come into play. In middle school, the focus shifts to the cognitive application of AI in everyday life and studies, while in high school, courses aim to develop technical innovation skills. This is confirmed by Wang Le, a computer science teacher at a public school affiliated with the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, who was interviewed by NPR:
"The Ministry of Education has mandated the inclusion of AI in the computer science curriculum. It serves to prepare children for the future and to strengthen the country's competitiveness."
The Ministry of Education has produced standardized teaching materials, established usage limits for generative AI in school-age children, and launched training programs for teachers. Lessons can be delivered as a standalone course or integrated into existing subjects such as technology and science. The choice of method is left to individual schools, but the minimum hours are binding at the national level.
Beijing Takes the Lead
Beijing was the first region to implement the plan: starting in the fall of 2025, over 1,400 primary and secondary schools in the capital will introduce the mandatory AI curriculum. The Ministry of Education had already outlined national guidelines in March 2025, with an implementation plan published by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education. Schools in other major cities are also updating their programs, with an estimated involvement of over 200 million students nationwide.
The strategic framework is the Ministry of Education's "AI Plus Education" plan, which aims to integrate AI at all levels of education by 2030. Wang Le explicitly cites the political slogan Keji xingguo, which means "build a strong nation through science and technology", as the ideological framework of the program. The goal is for China to become a global leader in AI by 2030, with a workforce trained from childhood.
While China has standardized a national pathway, the debate over AI in schools is still open in the West, divided between those who fear risks to critical learning and those who push for rapid integration. But will we really be able to do without new technologies like AI in the future?