BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- China will push for Artificial Intelligence (AI) courses to be offered at primary and secondary schools and popularize programming education in steps, according to a directive issued by the Ministry of Education.

This is among major actions demanded by educational authorities across the country for the cultivation and improvement of information literacy of teachers and students.

Information literacy is the ability to discover and use various types of information and is an essential skill for navigating the information age.

Big data, virtual reality and AI technologies should be more deeply applied to education and teaching, says the directive.

Programs will be launched to train primary and secondary school teachers on the application of information technology, and advanced courses on big data will be also offered to teachers across the country, it adds.

The directive also calls for more investment into the application of information technology in education.