Abu Dhabi advances AI literacy initiative across 170+ private schools from KG to Grade 12

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is advancing an AI literacy initiative across more than 170 private schools, covering KG to Grade 12. Learning progresses from screen-free critical and logical thinking in early years to engaging with AI tools, and by Grade 12 students design AI systems and scalable solutions. ADEK has also introduced a standardized AI Growth Test held twice a year for Grades 4-12 and aims to train 19,000 educators.

This is a rare case of a regional education authority rolling out AI literacy across all grade levels with assessment and teacher training attached, offering a comparable implementation model for other regions through its curriculum tiers, AI Growth Test and six safeguard areas. For schools, the flexible delivery options change procurement and scheduling decisions; for AI education product providers, schools must use AI learning tools meeting ADEK requirements, meaning products entering this market need to satisfy conditions on data protection, cognitive agency and algorithmic fairness. Public information currently comes only from ADEK, with no independent evaluation results or test data. Schools must select compliant AI learning tools and maintain digital infrastructure and staff capabilities, making procurement and implementation requirements explicit. Students in Grades 4-12 take a standardized AI Growth Test twice a year, tracking progress and gaps through a unified assessment.