Beijing to roll out AI courses for kids to boost sector s growth

BEIJING – Schools in Beijing will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) courses to primary and secondary school students to strengthen China’s goal to dominate the sector.

From the coming fall semester, which starts on Sept 1, schools in China’s capital will offer at least eight hours of AI classes per academic year, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said in a statement on its website.

Schools can run them as stand-alone courses or integrate them with existing curriculum, such as information technology and science, it said.

China has long held ambitions to be an AI innovator. But the sector was thrust into the global spotlight earlier in 2025 after Chinese start-up DeepSeek released a model that it said performs as well as those made by large US companies while needing far fewer resources.

The educational plan follows a pledge by the government at the National People’s Congress to support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and the development of new-generation intelligent terminals and manufacturing equipment.

A tech revolution led by AI provides major opportunities for education, Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said on March 5 on the sidelines of the annual session of the national legislature.

The country will release a White Paper on AI education in 2025, he said. BLOOMBERG

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