South China's Guangdong province has introduced a new framework and guidance on artificial intelligence education for primary and secondary school students, aiming to boost students' AI literacy from an early age.

According to a news conference held last week in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, the province will require at least six hours of AI education annually for students in grades one through four. Students in grades five and six, as well as those in junior high school, must complete no fewer than 10 hours per year. For senior high school students in grades one and two, the guidance mandates at least one AI class hour every two weeks.

Lin Rupeng, director of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, said the initiative is intended to strengthen students' foundational knowledge of AI and cultivate future "AI+"interdisciplinary talent to support high-quality development in the region.

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Lin made the remarks during the launch of the Guangdong TV portal of the national smart education platform for primary and secondary education. Guangdong is among the pilot regions for the platform's comprehensive application, and it has promoted digitalization to drive balanced, high-quality development in compulsory education in recent months.

"Promoting AI education in primary and secondary schools will help us better explore educational resources and support sustainable educational development," Lin said.

Mu Su, deputy dean of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence in Education at South China Normal University, said the AI curriculum is designed to progress across school stages. Primary students are expected to experience and become familiar with AI, while junior high students will begin understanding and applying it. In senior high school, the emphasis will shift to design and innovation.

Mu said schools across the province are encouraged to develop AI curriculum resources independently, tailored to local needs.

Li Ping, head of the Ministry of Education's educational technology center, said AI technology is undergoing explosive global growth and is having profound impacts on the education sector.

"By integrating resources and applying them at scale, we aim to help rural and remote schools fully implement the national curriculum," Li said. "This will help bridge the education gap between urban and rural areas and allow children from both backgrounds to attend the same classes."

Li added that digitalization has become a key lever for breaking barriers of time and geography, promoting educational equity, and driving high-quality development.

Liu Zitao, dean of the Guangdong Institute of Smart Education at Jinan University, said AI education holds deep significance for young learners.

"It not only concerns the students' future development, but also serves as a cornerstone of social progress and technological innovation," Liu said. "Promoting AI education will improve AI literacy among all students."

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Wang Shuhong, principal of Shanhai School in Shenzhen's Yantian district, said AI education represents a transformation in thinking.

"Teachers need to move from being AI users to AI education designers, and students should transition from technology experiencers to innovation leaders," Wang said.

She noted that AI education emphasizes students' growth, practical innovation and social value over test scores or rankings.

"Technology empowerment should not add burden, but make learning more engaging and real," she said. "Improving life literacy is not about mechanical training — it's about awakening every student's spirit of innovation."

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn