context: As AI usage became widespread in the PRC, the Ministry of Education sees it both as an opportunity to enhance education digitisation and a risk for AI misuse among students and schools. The guidelines for general AI education in primary and secondary schools (2025 edition) and guidelines for primary and secondary school students' use of generative AI (2025 edition) were released by the Ministry's Basic Education Teaching Guidance Committee on 12 May. They aim to set up AI education bases for primary and secondary schools, incorporate AI literacy into student comprehensive quality evaluations, while also avoid students' excessive technology dependence.
For improved AI literacy the curriculum design in the guidelines for general AI education is separated into stages
- primary school focuses on interest cultivation and basic cognition
- junior high school strengthens technical principles and basic applications
- senior high school emphasises systematic thinking and innovative practice
A representative from the Basic Education Teaching Guidance Committee explained ways to integrate AI education into daily teaching practice
- curriculum
- organically connecting AI education with information technology, science and comprehensive practice courses
- teaching
- advocating project-based learning, case analysis and interactive practice
- activities
- combining AI education with science festivals, technical challenges and innovation projects
For the teaching evaluation system, the guidelines propose
- using digital technology to record learning process data, forming student AI literacy growth files
- establishing a diverse evaluation mechanism with participation from teachers, students and parents
- encouraging exploration of incorporating AI literacy into student comprehensive quality evaluations
- using evaluation results to improve teaching practices
Education administrative departments will support implementation through
- establishing AI education bases for primary and secondary schools in batches
- upgrading existing digital teaching environments and facilities
- promoting the opening of AI labs in universities, research institutes and enterprises to schools
The Guidelines provide direction on the role of businesses in promoting AI education
- jointly develop general AI education courses with schools
- integrate cutting-edge industrial technologies with educational resources
- open public welfare AI educational resources to promote educational equity
- develop teaching tools with strong adaptability based on students' cognitive characteristics
- set up bases to provide immersive AI activities for schools
The committee representative noted that the widespread application of new-generation AI—especially the rapid development of generative AI represented by DeepSeek—presents epoch-making requirements for education. Schools must strengthen AI education while addressing potential risks and challenges, ensuring students use AI tools properly.
The guidelines for primary and secondary school students' use of generative AI identifies three core application scenarios
- promoting student growth
- assisting teacher instruction
- supporting educational management
The guidelines propose differentiated applications by grade level while emphasising avoidance of excessive technology dependence
- prohibit students from directly copying AI-generated content as homework or exam answers
- limit AI misuse in creative tasks
- strengthen teachers' guidance responsibilities in critical thinking training
- cultivating students' questioning spirit and discrimination ability regarding AI-generated content
Specific student requirements include
- avoid copying AI-generated content in homework
- cannot use generative AI for exams and tests
- avoid misuse of AI in creative or personalised expression tasks
- consult quality textbooks or authoritative materials before using AI for information
For student privacy and data security protection
- teachers and students are prohibited from inputting sensitive data such as exam questions or personal identity information
- schools must establish whitelist systems for generative AI tools
- only tools meeting educational needs and data security regulations can be used on campus
Parental responsibilities include
- cooperating with schools to supervise children's use of generative AI
- preventing children from inputting sensitive private content
- being vigilant about excessive technology dependence
- scientifically introducing AI tools into family education scenarios