[Photo/IC]

Students from grade 3 to 9 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang will study new programming courses, including ones on the programming language Python, local media outlets reported from the education research office of Zhejiang on July 24.

The textbooks for grade 5 and grade 6 will include big data, artificial intelligence (AI), as well as programming and algorithms. Python will be added to the grade 8 curriculum and Python will replace Visual Basic in grade 9 programming courses.

The new curriculum has caused polarized comments among parents. Some have said "It's too difficult" while others have said the new courses were "interesting." Teachers said that last week they have passed training for teaching the new textbooks.

"Students will spend a semester studying Python, which will focus more on cultivating students' thinking than the old courses," said an information technology teacher surnamed Xia.

Xia said that it will not be that difficult for local students as some of them have been playing Lego and taking after-school robot programming courses. However, there will be higher requirements for teachers.

For example, the primary school textbooks include AI's application in daily life and teachers must strengthen their teaching ability accordingly.