Hangzhou, home to DeepSeek, makes AI education compulsory for students
What's the story
Hangzhou, a major city in China's Zhejiang province and home to AI company DeepSeek, will introduce mandatory artificial intelligence (AI) courses for primary and secondary schools. The move, starting from the new semester, aims to prepare students with knowledge in the rapidly evolving field of AI. The local education bureau has released documents detailing curriculum plans and standards for these courses.
Course structure
Integrating AI with existing subjects
The AI courses will comprise at least 10 class hours per academic year. Students will learn through a mix of intensive sessions or by integrating AI subjects within information technology and science classes. The schools will have the flexibility to incorporate these projects into their local curriculum, with basic AI activities possibly included in after-school programs.
Ethical education
Curriculum for younger students
The curriculum for first and second graders will focus on recognizing AI applications and interacting with AI devices. It will also stress the ethical and responsible use of AI, with an emphasis on privacy protection. For third and fourth graders, the course will teach them to use AI tools to collect text, images, and audio for school assignments or daily tasks.
Advanced learning
Advanced AI education for older students
Middle school students will delve deeper into AI, covering data preparation, model training, and core algorithms principles like reasoning and brute-force search. High schoolers will engage in project-based initiatives to develop skills in designing AI systems. This will enhance their ability to apply AI in real-world scenarios.