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Beijing Education Updates: Key Decisions Ahead on AI and Capacity
Schools must now meet new compulsory AI hours and seat expansion targets while linking research labs to classrooms.
How we reported this
Beijing has made AI education compulsory in public primary and secondary schools, requiring at least eight class hours per academic year for all grade levels. This requirement forms part of ongoing efforts to integrate technology across the system.
AI Coverage and 2025 Strategy
AI applications now cover 87.7% of Beijing's primary and secondary schools as part of a broader 2025 strategy to promote AI education citywide. Education authorities must decide how to extend this reach to the remaining schools while ensuring the eight-hour minimum is delivered consistently across grade levels.
Physical Education Mandates
All primary and middle school students in Beijing must take at least one physical education class per day, while high school students have three to five PE classes weekly. These schedules create additional planning needs for timetables and facilities as AI classes are added to the same school day.
Seat Expansion Plans
Beijing plans to add 20,000 primary and secondary school seats in 2025 to reduce placement squeeze, following the addition of 39,000 seats in 2024. Decisions on where these new seats will be located and how they will accommodate both AI and PE requirements remain ahead for district planners.
Research Laboratory Access
More university and research institute laboratories in Beijing are opening to middle school teachers and students to link scientific research with classroom teaching. Administrators must determine which laboratories will open first and how middle school visits will be scheduled without disrupting existing research work.
These measures require coordinated choices on staffing, scheduling and resource allocation in the coming months. Districts will need to track progress on the 87.7% AI coverage figure while preparing for the additional 20,000 seats. The combination of mandatory AI hours, daily or frequent PE classes and expanded laboratory access sets the immediate priorities for school leaders and municipal education offices.