The introduction of large models and self-developed Bots has sparked a wave of "AI + Education" in primary and secondary schools in Shanghai.

How are the tech innovation talents of the best high school in Shanghai cultivated?

A student who just entered Luwan High School in Shanghai usually likes computers, AI, and programming. He chose to take the school's AI course and participated in the Robot World Cup competition. He wants to understand what the world champion robots are like, so he learns various relevant knowledge in forums from major universities. After purchasing a robot online, he also went to the engineers' forum of the robotics company to directly consult with robotic engineers.

Based on this, he and his team developed a small football robot about 18 centimeters tall to participate in the competition, and they achieved the national runner-up. Next year, they will continue to compete with the goal of becoming the national champion.

On May 16, 2025, the 22nd Shanghai Education Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "Education Expo") opened, with the theme "'Education' Meets AI, Smartly Opening Up the Future." At the exhibition, Zhang Xiaojun, the chief technology advisor of Luwan Middle School, shared the science and technology innovation stories of the aforementioned students with Jiemian News.

As an experimental and demonstrative high school in Shanghai, Lu Wan High School is recognized as a "bull school" and has made significant achievements in science and technology education. In 2024, the Ministry of Education announced 184 artificial intelligence education bases for primary and secondary schools nationwide, among which 6 schools from Shanghai were selected, including Lu Wan High School.

At this education expo, Lu Wan Middle School not only brought several UBTECH small robots but also showcased the humanoid robots from Yushu Technology, making it one of the booths with the largest number of robots.

According to Zhang Xiao-Jun, the school has offered a popularization course on artificial intelligence for all students, allowing them to understand the basic knowledge and principles of artificial intelligence.

In response to the interests of students, Lu Wan Middle School has launched an elective course in artificial intelligence, further enhancing students' understanding of artificial intelligence and focusing on cultivating students' programming thinking, computational thinking, and innovative thinking.

Luwan Middle School encourages students with potential in science and technology to engage in interdisciplinary research on artificial intelligence topics.

"Our biggest feature is to build an unlimited platform for students, where the knowledge learned by all students is not the endpoint of the content taught by teachers, but the starting point," said Zhang Xiaojun.

In order to support the participating students in the aforementioned Robot World Cup, Lu Wan Middle School actively connects them with robotics engineers and university resources, and invites accomplished alumni from the industry back to their alma mater to participate in a technology forum, allowing students to communicate and interact directly with experts from academia and industry.

Luwan Middle School hopes to build a learning ecosystem characterized by "creative learning + entrepreneurial practice". Although there is only one science and technology class on the weekly schedule, through this class, students can choose from 30 learning tribes, such as the Robot Football World Cup Tribe, Metaverse Tribe, Autonomous Driving Tribe, etc. Each learning tribe is autonomously formed by students based on their interests and expertise to create workshops or learning communities, engaging in deep learning through various formats. Students who excel in the learning tribes will also receive financial support from the school to complete their research and development projects.

As of now, students from Lu Wan Middle School have won a total of 23 world-class science and technology awards, 306 national awards, and 1,607 awards at the Shanghai level, with 4 individuals receiving the National Tomorrow Little Scientist Award and 16 individuals obtaining the Shanghai Tomorrow Science and Technology Star title.

As a model school, the mission of Luwan Middle School is to drive more junior high schools and primary schools to develop together. Last year, six primary and secondary schools in Huangpu District were selected as the first batch of national primary and secondary school science education experimental schools.

The theme of the 22nd Shanghai Education Expo is "'Education' Meets AI, Igniting the Future". Photography: Liu Sunan

Under the wave of technological giants, from educational informatization to STEM and then to "AI + education", Shanghai's forward-looking layout and planning are always a step ahead.

Since 2018, Shanghai's digital resources have achieved full coverage across all disciplines, and the education digital application index is at a leading position nationwide. In 2021, Shanghai was approved as the first national "Educational Digital Transformation Pilot Zone."

Shanghai's education station should reach a higher level.

In 2017, the State Council issued the "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan." The plan stated that artificial intelligence has become the focus of international competition and a new engine for economic development, bringing new opportunities and challenges for social construction. In 2022, the "Regulations on Promoting the Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry in Shanghai" systematically promoted industrial development. By 2024, the scale of Shanghai's artificial intelligence industry exceeded 450 billion yuan.

In September 2024, Shanghai released the "Implementation Plan for the Artificial Intelligence 'Molding Shanghai'" which clearly states the need to develop artificial intelligence curriculum construction and create an intelligent learning platform.

In this context, in September 2024, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission issued two important documents: the "Action Plan for Promoting the High-Quality Development of Basic Education Empowered by Artificial Intelligence in Shanghai (2024-2026)" and the "Implementation Requirements for Artificial Intelligence Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools in Shanghai (Trial)". These documents take the lead in the country by establishing artificial intelligence as a local curriculum for the compulsory education stage.

Since last year, artificial intelligence teaching practices and experiences have been implemented in Shanghai, from elementary and middle schools down to kindergartens.

"With the emergence of DeepSeek in January this year, we in the education sector must first consider how to embrace new technologies in basic education. We have accumulated years of experience in information technology construction and are ready to empower existing teaching with artificial intelligence in the future," said Lu Ming, the vice principal (in charge) of Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School, to Jiemian News.

Jin Yuan Middle School has first established a set of learning norms for students using artificial intelligence technology, and integrated mainstream large model applications such as DeepSeek, Doubao, and Xunfei Spark into the students' learning terminals, while also developing its own intelligent agent, exploring the possibility of making large models the "learning companions" for students.

Lu Ming observed that whether it is teachers, students, or parents, everyone shows great enthusiasm for using intelligent agents to empower teaching. "This is a double-edged sword; everyone is actively exploring how to fully leverage their advantages. We advocate for students to view the existing large models with deep reasoning capabilities as learning partners, continuously engaging in dialogue with them. This not only generates the results you desire but, more importantly, expands and deepens your own thinking."

From the municipal level, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission has established a leadership group for the "Artificial Intelligence + Education" and large model education field vertical application, as well as the "Educational Model Evaluation and Intelligent Ethics Review Committee," to establish and improve corresponding working mechanisms.

The Shanghai Municipal Education Commission has established three artificial intelligence education pilot zones in Xuhui, Hongkou, and Putuo, as well as the first batch of 12 off-campus bases for artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools; 89 schools (including primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and vocational schools) have been selected as "Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Education Experimental Schools."

In the higher education stage, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission has laid out a number of artificial intelligence-enabled research projects, supporting researchers to embrace artificial intelligence, big data, integrated circuits, robotics, intelligent manufacturing, and other specialties in terms of thinking and methods.

Shanghai education also looks further ahead.

Currently, the competition in the artificial intelligence sector is primarily driven by the competition for talent. Shanghai has consistently prioritized the early discovery and cultivation of top innovative talent.

"The humanoid robot course not only covers robot control, but also includes physical aspects such as servo linkage methods, facial expression design artificial intelligence algorithms, and robot movement which involves battery life, chip design, etc. Students can learn the corresponding principles and engage in programming and design." Dong Jiao, the teaching director of Kongjiang Middle School, told Interface News.

According to its introduction, Kongjiang Middle School began preparing to construct an artificial intelligence curriculum system from 2017 to 2018, initially focusing primarily on algorithms. Currently, it places greater emphasis on cultivating students' understanding of artificial intelligence, computational thinking, and interdisciplinary skills. In this year's Shanghai Middle School "Talent Program", 8 students from Kongjiang Middle School were selected, ranking third among high schools in terms of the number of selected students.

The "Talent Program" is officially named the "Training Program for Reserve Talents in Science and Technology Innovation for Middle School Students." It aims to select a group of outstanding middle school students with both good character and academic performance to enter universities and participate in scientific research, academic discussions, and research practices under the guidance of mentors in the fields of natural sciences and basic disciplines. Initially, Shanghai used Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University as pilot units, and from 2021, added three nurturing universities: Tongji University, East China Normal University, and East China University of Science and Technology.

Currently, Kongjiang Middle School is also tasked with the construction of the Yangpu District Youth Artificial Intelligence Academy. The construction of the academy has three main lines: popularizing AI foundational skills among the youth in the district, cultivating top innovative talents, and building a team of AI teachers.

Dong Jiao revealed that the Yangpu District Youth Artificial Intelligence Academy has built a series of courses on "AI + key subjects" and hopes to create a pathway for cultivating artificial intelligence from primary school through high school to higher education in the future.

During the "2025 People's Livelihood Interview" event in April this year, Zhou Yaming, the director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, stated that AI is not only profoundly changing the world but also reshaping new paradigms in scientific research and new models and forms of education. This impact may be global and fundamental. Therefore, Shanghai is actively seeking change and promoting relevant explorations to encourage the education sector to fully embrace AI.

On one hand, Shanghai embraces the paradigm shift brought by artificial intelligence to scientific research, accelerating "AI For Science"; on the other hand, Shanghai embraces the model reshaping brought by artificial intelligence to education and teaching, accelerating "AI For Education".

(Source: Jiemian News)

Source: Dongfang Caifu Wang

Author: Jiemian News