Five departments: AI will be included in teacher qualification examinations and certification

According to Yicai News, five departments—including China’s Ministry of Education—jointly issued the “AI + Education” Action Plan. The plan emphasizes enhancing teachers’ AI literacy and competencies. It calls for developing national standards for teachers’ AI literacy, clearly defining the AI-related competencies teachers should possess. AI literacy training will be conducted in a tiered and categorized manner according to the specific needs of different teaching roles, ensuring full coverage through diverse delivery methods. A contextualized assessment system will be established, with intelligent and progressively structured evaluation tools developed. Local education authorities and schools are encouraged to conduct large-scale teacher literacy assessments, and targeted interventions will be implemented based on assessment results to enhance teachers’ competencies. The plan also promotes reforming the training of prospective teachers by integrating cutting-edge technologies—including AI—into teacher education curricula and updating existing knowledge frameworks. AI-related content will be incorporated into teacher qualification examinations and certification processes. Additionally, AI-powered education initiatives will be included as a dedicated category in both national and provincial-level teaching achievement awards, thereby stimulating endogenous innovation in AI-driven education.