Squirrel AI Learning is an education technology company founded in China that focuses on adaptive learning, meaning software that diagnoses what a student knows and then personalises practice and explanations to target gaps - weforum.org 
- hundred.org
In practice, Squirrel AI has been known for combining software-driven “micro-lessons” with physical learning centres and human staff, aiming to scale a consistent tutoring experience while continuously collecting performance data to refine recommendations - squirrelai.com - theguardian.com
# Why People Call Them “Squirrel Schools”
The “school” framing comes from the experience of attending a branded centre that looks and feels like a place you go to learn, even when it is closer to a tutoring or learning-centre model than a formal school.
English-language writing sometimes shortens this to “Squirrel School” as a generic label for the centre-based model, especially in explainers about AI-driven personalised learning - theguardian.com
# How The Model Works
A student typically starts with a diagnostic assessment that tries to locate missing building blocks, then the system assigns targeted exercises, short explanations, and practice sequences that adapt based on performance.
Advocates argue this can reduce wasted time by focusing on “what you specifically need next,” while critics worry it can narrow learning toward test optimisation and measurable fragments, rather than deeper understanding and the social side of education - theguardian.com
# The Post-2021 Tutoring Crackdown Context
In 2021, China introduced a major clampdown on for-profit after-school tutoring in core K-12 subjects under the “double reduction” policy, reshaping the private tutoring market and pushing many companies to rebrand, pivot, or reduce regulated offerings - reuters.com
Coverage since then describes a more complex landscape where some companies adapt through new product categories, new labels, or shifts toward hardware and AI learning tools, while regulation remains a central constraint - reuters.com - restofworld.org
# Opportunities And Concerns
Supporters see “Squirrel Schools” as one route to more personalised learning and potentially more consistent tutoring quality, especially when human teachers are unevenly distributed and parents are searching for alternatives - restofworld.org
A recurring concern is data collection and surveillance-by-default, because adaptive learning systems improve by tracking fine-grained behaviour, and this raises privacy and ethics questions about what is collected, how long it is kept, and who can access it - theguardian.com
Another concern is inequality. If AI tutoring shifts from public provision to paid centres and expensive devices, it can widen the gap between families who can afford optimisation and those who cannot, even if the technology is framed as “access” - restofworld.org - reuters.com
# What To Check
When someone says “Squirrel Schools,” it helps to ask whether they mean Squirrel AI’s branded learning centres, the company’s tablet and platform, or the broader category of AI tutoring that became more visible after the tutoring crackdown.
If the context includes “adaptive learning,” “learning centres,” “AI super teacher,” or the brand name Squirrel AI, it is almost certainly referring to Squirrel AI Learning - squirrelai.com - weforum.org