Advocating for quantum curricula in primary and secondary education programs

Abstract This perspective article highlights the critical implementation gap between national quantum strategies and classroom-level reality in primary and secondary education. National-level legislation and policy actions have elevated quantum to a global priority and we contend that educational research necessary to operationalize quantum concepts in primary and secondary education programs remains profoundly underdeveloped. Quantum-related education research in primary and secondary programs accounts for less than 0.2% of STEM education literature—fewer than 40 foundational papers compared to approximately 18 000 broader physics and chemistry education studies during 2018–2025. We advocate for a concerted increase in reliable, educational research that moves beyond isolated teaching ideas toward scalable, assessed curricular models aligned with established pedagogical frameworks and existing educational standards. We suggest that bridging this gap between high-level policy aspirations and classroom implementation is essential to ensure the second quantum revolution includes the next generation of learners, securing a robust and equitable quantum-enabled future.