Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, has introduced mandatory AI courses for all primary and secondary schools, making it one of the first major Chinese cities outside Beijing to enforce compulsory AI education. The province is taking a balanced approach that combines age-appropriate AI instruction with infrastructure investment and large-scale teacher training, with full curriculum rollout planned by 2026.
Wenzhou, another major city in Zhejiang, has set a target of building 1,000 AI experimental schools and 100 AI demonstration schools. The province is also integrating AI into existing science and mathematics courses. Practical deployment is underway: schools in Ningbo have adopted AI-powered grading systems that identify common errors and individual student performance patterns, reducing teacher workload and enabling targeted instruction.
Who it affects: All primary and secondary school students in Hangzhou and progressively across Zhejiang province. Zhejiang’s population of approximately 65 million and its status as a technology hub (home to Alibaba’s headquarters) give the province both the resources and the incentive to lead AI education implementation.
What is notably missing: The specific class hour requirement for Hangzhou and other Zhejiang cities has not been detailed in English-language sources. Funding allocations for Wenzhou’s 1,000 AI experimental schools have not been published. Assessment standards specific to Zhejiang beyond the national MOE framework are not documented.