The first international AI literacy framework enters schools: the World Bank cites Romania as a positive example

The first international AI literacy framework enters schools - and the World Bank cites Romania as a positive example

Artificial intelligence has already entered students' lives, but education systems were not ready to teach it. This year, the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented in Brussels the first joint international artificial intelligence literacy framework for primary and secondary education - ‘Empowering Learners for the Age of AI’. During the same period, World Bank experts are issuing a complementary warning: misused, AI can deepen differences between students; used correctly, it can become an instrument of fairness. And among the positive examples cited by the World Bank is Romania.

What is the new AI literacy framework (OECD / European Commission)

The framework provides, for the first time, a common international reference for integrating AI literacy into education. According to the European Commission, the underlying problem was the absence of a shared definition: although 68% of teenagers already use AI, schools did not have a common language and coherent tools to teach it. The framework responds directly to this lack.

The document is structured around 4 dimensions: how students interact with AI, create with AI, manage AI, and help shape it; and 19 competencies organized across three levels: knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The essence of the message goes beyond the mere use of tools: AI literacy means understanding how these systems work and critically assessing their role in everyday life, including the benefits, risks, and ethical implications.

A key element for schools is that the document is not just for pupils. It explicitly defines how all teachers, not just computer science teachers, should be supported together with directors, policy makers and those designing educational content and training programmes. The framework is accompanied by learning scenarios and concrete examples from the classroom, for the primary and secondary levels, so that teachers can turn principles into real lessons. The document is currently available in English and will be translated into all official EU languages.

World Bank warning: equity, not just technology — and Romania as an example

In parallel to the European framework, the World Bank organised in Vienna (11–12 June 2025) the workshop ‘Leveraging AI to Improve Student Learning’, bringing together policymakers, World Bank and OECD experts, teachers and students from more than a dozen countries.

The central conclusion is nuanced: in Europe and Central Asia, many students – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – are already experiencing difficulties in literacy, numerical and digital skills, gaps deepened by the pandemic. AI can function as an equalizer through personalized training and real-time feedback, but in the absence of responsible governance, it risks widening exactly these gulfs.

"Ethics must be integrated from the outset, not treated as a footnote", warned Rita Almeida, Manager of Education Practice for the Region. The Bank's experts stressed the need to train and support teachers and build evidence-based policies. In the discussions, together with Finland, Estonia and Austria, Romania was mentioned as a country that makes relevant contributions to this regional effort.

The Romanian example is also documented in the World Bank's results report for the region (April 2026). Through the Digital STARS programme, Romania has trained over 32,000 citizens and approximately 1,000 librarians in basic digital skills (2023–2026), totalling 60,000 hours of training in 560 libraries in 23 counties — of which 65% of citizens and 80% of trained librarians are women. In addition, the AI readiness framework is now replicated in Romania as a scalable model for preparing the education system and workforce for the digital age.

What it means for school and teachers in Romania

The overlapping of the two signals outlines a clear agenda for the Romanian system:

Training all teachers, not just computer science teachers. The European framework establishes that AI literacy is a cross-cutting responsibility. For Romania, this means continuous training programs in digital pedagogy for all disciplines.
From use to critical understanding. The goal is not for students to ‘use ChatGPT’, but to understand how these systems work, assess their boundaries, and recognise ethical risks — essential skills for exams like the Baccalaureate and subsequent professional life.
Fairness as an explicit priority. The World Bank's warning is directly relevant for Romania, where the urban-rural digital divide remains significant. AI integration must be designed to reduce, not deepen, these differences.
Building on what already works. The Digital STARS model, based on the national library network, shows that existing infrastructure can be used to reach large populations quickly and cheaply — a transferable principle also towards teacher training.

The OECD–European Commission framework now provides the ‘map’ of skills, and the World Bank’s experience shows how to scale without leaving anyone behind. For the Romanian school, the next challenge is no longer whether, but how these principles translate into concrete teacher training and classroom lessons.