Russia plans nationwide school AI course from January 2027

Russia's Education Ministry plans to extend a course on artificial intelligence and information security to all schools from January 2027, its press service told RIA Novosti on 10 October.

The pilot will begin in the second quarter of the 2026/27 school year for pupils in grades 5–11 at participating schools. The ministry described it as an extracurricular course, distinguishing its initial introduction from the later plan to cover the entire school system.

Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov had previously said the course would be compulsory for pupils in those grades. The ministry's timetable sets out a phased introduction: selected schools first, followed by the planned nationwide expansion in January. The January date is a rollout target, rather than a statement that every school already offers the course.