China MOE to Issue AI Empowerment Education Policies Next Year
China's Ministry of Education signaled a clear direction: AI belongs in the core of teaching, learning, and school operations. At a press conference on December 30, Zhou Dawang, Director of the Department of Science, Technology, and Informatization, said the National Education Digitalization Strategy Action 2.0 moved forward this year with "intelligentization" as a key track.
Progress was reported across five fronts: stronger top-level design, clearer policy guidance, focused educational training, improved intelligent literacy, and broader application of AI across education. The MOE plans to release policy documents next year to organize and scale this work nationwide, building a future-focused education system.
What this means for educators and leaders
- Expect formal direction on AI use across curriculum, teaching, assessment, and administration.
- Teacher professional development will likely expand, with AI literacy and classroom practice front and center.
- Data governance and ethics will tighten-schools should prepare for clear rules on privacy, model use, and academic integrity.
- Procurement and infrastructure decisions may be standardized, especially for AI platforms, devices, and connectivity.
Practical steps to start now
- Form a small AI working group (curriculum, IT, pedagogy, compliance) to coordinate pilots and policy alignment.
- Run a quick audit: where could AI reduce workload (grading drafts, feedback, scheduling), enrich learning (tutoring, language practice), or expand access (assistive tools)?
- Pilot 2-3 AI use cases with clear safeguards and measurement. Keep it simple: feedback assistants, formative quizzes, or lesson planning support.
- Launch a short PD series on AI literacy, prompt quality, classroom workflows, and academic integrity. Pair training with tool access and office hours.
- Draft internal guidance now: data privacy standards, acceptable use, disclosure to students, and procedures for monitoring outcomes.
- Build a student AI literacy module (usage boundaries, citation, bias awareness, and verification skills) to support responsible learning.
- Start capturing evidence: time saved, learning gains, engagement, and equity impact. This will help with upcoming reporting and funding opportunities.
What to watch in the 2025 policy documents
- Standards for intelligent teaching tools and data security.
- Funding or incentives for AI pilots, teacher training, and infrastructure.
- Assessment guidance, including academic honesty and AI-assisted work.
- Requirements for integrating AI literacy across K-12 and higher education programs.
The direction is set, and the timeline is close. Schools that prepare now-policy-first, training-enabled, and data-informed-will transition faster and with fewer headaches.
Resources
- Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
- AI courses by job role (including education)
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