Overview
- The government announced the new standards on Friday, June 19, and said they will take effect from the new school year starting in late August.
- Under the age‑tiered rules, pupils in grades 1–7 (ages 6–13) should generally not use generative AI, grades 8–10 (ages 14–16) may use AI only under teacher supervision, and upper secondary students (ages 17–19) will be taught how to use AI appropriately.
- Officials framed the move as a response to falling test scores and a risk that AI lets young children skip essential steps in learning to read, write and do mathematics.
- The government said it will propose legislation to fund more classroom books and has earlier restricted smartphones in schools while planning a legal age limit for social media use for under‑16s.
- Educators and commentators have raised questions about how the policy will be enforced, whether teachers have the training and tools to supervise AI use, and whether home access to AI will create new equity gaps.