China’s Ministry of Education, together with four co-issuing bodies including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, issued the “AI-Empowering Education Action Plan 2030” on 10 April 2026. The directive is binding on all provinces, including Henan, and explicitly requires each provincial education authority to issue implementation regulations.
The plan mandates AI integration across every educational level — primary, secondary, vocational, and higher education — from the 2026–27 academic year. Core requirements include: dedicated AI courses at all K-12 levels; AI literacy embedded in all university students’ general education; AI ethics included in curriculum design; and AI included in teacher qualification examinations. Provincial education departments are named as the implementing authorities responsible for rolling out these requirements within their jurisdictions.
What this means for Henan: Henan’s Provincial Department of Education holds a formal mandate to deliver the national curriculum requirements. An earlier Henan “AI+Education” Three-Year Action Plan (2025–2027, issued March 2025) was already in operation, creating a provincial implementation structure aligned with the national directive. The April 2026 directive supersedes and reinforces that framework with binding national authority.
What is notably missing: No Henan-specific funding quantum or distinct provincial enforcement mechanism beyond the national directive has been confirmed within the current research window. Employer training obligations and worker rights provisions are not addressed.