Tech Desk 
Sep 02, 2025
China has made AI education mandatory for all primary and secondary schools in Hangzhou, a city in China’s Zhejiang province, as local authorities launch a structured programme this term.
That said, the given classification of schools is required to provide at least ten hours of AI lessons each academic year, which, experts say, can be done through a short intensive module or by incorporating AI topics into existing subjects.
The enforcement of AI education in China is being executed to equip students with expertise in high-demand technologies.
In the first two years of primary school, students will learn about common smart devices and the basics of safe and private usage.
In Years 3 and 4, they will use simple AI tools to gather and combine text, images, and sounds for short projects. By years 5 and 6, lessons will introduce fundamental concepts like decision trees, basic neural networks, and simple algorithms.
Middle school students will engage in a complete AI workflow, including data preparation and model training. High school students will work on project-based assignments, creating mini intelligent systems.
Officials also plan to train teachers and set competency standards to ensure practical lessons while safeguarding student privacy.
The local education bureau will provide guidance so that schools can align content and integrate AI lessons with other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
This initiative is part of China's broader efforts to incorporate AI into education across the country.
