Global Integration of AI Education
This is the third part of our series on how countries are teaching students of all ages how AI works. The first two below looked at how the USA and China were tackling this subject. and here we look at the subject globally.
June 2025
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Below we look at the Global Integration of AI Education
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gradually finding a formal place in school curricula around the world, though progress is uneven. As of late 2022, UNESCO’s global survey found only 11 countries had developed and officially endorsed K‑12 AI curricula (with a few more in development) .
By 2025, more governments have launched initiatives to teach AI in primary and secondary schools. Below is an overview by region, highlighting when AI education begins, how it’s integrated, what content is covered, key policies, and teacher training efforts. Common content themes include algorithms & programming, data literacy, problem-solving, ethics and societal impact of AI, and basic machine learning concepts .
The Full Report available for FREE below provides full details and summarises many global national AI curriculum initiatives for comparison:
China
China has been an early mover in K‑12 AI education. In 2018, the central government announced plans to include AI courses in primary and secondary schools, publishing the first high school AI textbook Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence . Initially piloted in 40 high schools , AI content is now embedded in the national Information Technology curriculum across all levels .
India
India’s central board of education (CBSE) introduced AI as an optional subject at secondary level in 2019 . Initially offered in Class 9 (around age 14), it has since expanded, with some schools also introducing it in Class 8 or 11 based on interest .
South Korea
South Korea formally integrated AI into its high school curriculum in 2021 as part of a national strategy.
Japan
Japan has not introduced a dedicated K-12 AI course, but it has taken steps to integrate AI awareness into the curriculum and school policies.
Other Asia-Pacific Notes
Several other Asia-Pacific education systems are exploring AI education. Singapore, for instance, has robust computing and STEM programs but as of 2022 had no separate AI curriculum in primary/secondary (AI topics are addressed through enrichment programs and ICT classes) .
Armenia provides an example in Central Asia: its government updated the national ICT curriculum to include basic AI concepts, implemented in upper primary and middle school grades .
Bangladesh, Indonesia, and others are at early stages, focusing first on general digital literacy and coding, with AI likely to be introduced in coming years.
Overall, Asia-Pacific ministries often tie AI curriculum plans to national tech strategies, aiming to nurture future-ready skills.
Europe
European countries have largely approached AI education as an extension of computing or digital skills curricula, with a few launching dedicated modules:
United Kingdom
On 9th June 2025, the UK Government announced TechFirst, a nationwide skills programme built to bring artificial intelligence lessons into every secondary school.
Downing Street confirmed the plan carries £187 million in public money and will run for three years.
TechFirst promises a new online hub, local delivery partners in each region, and live sessions that explain coding, cyber security and data science in clear language.
The UK’s national curriculum (since 2014) emphasizes computing fundamentals (coding, algorithms, data).
Germany
Education in Germany is decentralized, but there is movement to include AI in curricula. expand in coming curricula revisions .
France
France has woven AI topics into existing courses rather than creating a standalone AI subject.
Smaller European Countries
A number of smaller European nations are pioneers in formal AI curriculum integration:
- Austria: Introduced a high-school level specialization in “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” in 2018 .
- Portugal: As part of its ICT curriculum overhaul, Portugal ensured that AI topics are covered from basic education up to secondary.
- Belgium: In the French-speaking Community (Wallonia-Brussels Federation), a new “referentiel” for ICT was adopted that acts as an IT/AI repository for secondary schools.
- Bulgaria: Bulgaria updated its curriculum by introducing “Computer Modeling” in primary grades and “Informatics and Information Technologies” in secondary, embedding introductory AI concepts.
- Serbia: Serbia stands out with multiple formal integrations. In grade 8, a revamped course “Informatics and Programming” includes an introduction to AI and algorithmic problem-solving .
Overall, Europe is advancing AI in curricula mostly under the umbrella of digital competence. Ethics and societal impacts are strongly emphasized alongside coding and theory (aligned with EU guidelines on AI ethics in education). Teacher professional development remains a priority, often supported by EU programs and national funds.
Middle East
United Arab Emirates
The UAE is among the first countries to make AI education compulsory for all school grades.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has recently incorporated AI into its national curriculum at the high school level. In 2025, the Saudi Ministry of Education and SDAIA (Saudi Data & AI Authority) jointly launched a new 12th-grade course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence”.
Qatar
Qatar’s Ministry of Education has integrated AI topics via its national ICT curriculum.
Kuwait
Kuwait has updated its K-12 curriculum standards to include AI basics, especially in earlier grades. According to UNESCO’s survey, Kuwait’s “standards curriculum” for technology now introduces AI concepts in primary and middle school .
Jordan
Jordan has taken significant steps by revamping its national curriculum to include AI and programming. In October 2024, the National Center for Curriculum Development announced that a new “Digital Skills” curriculum will teach programming and AI in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades .
Other Middle East & North Africa
Across the MENA region, interest in AI education is growing. Oman and Bahrain, for example, have introduced coding in schools and are exploring AI club activities, though as of 2022 Bahrain reported no formal AI curriculum yet .
Israel (not part of the UNESCO survey) has specialized high-school programs in computer science and robotics that touch on AI (Israel’s Ministry of Education supports an AI and robotics track in some schools, often partnering with tech firms).
In Egypt, discussions are underway about updating the secondary ICT curriculum to include AI basics as part of the country’s digital transformation initiative.
Many Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait as detailed above) are leading with top-down policies, while others are still in pilot phases.
A common thread in the region is the emphasis on aligning with national AI strategies and preparing youth for future job markets in AI and tech.