China is updating its government-sanctioned school music curriculum, for the first time adding some current pop hits to the old communist standards.
The Shanghai Daily newspaper says this year's list of 100 approved songs for music classes includes several current pop hits, including two from Taiwanese performers.
Songs from hip-hop singer Jay Chou ('Snail') and singer-actor Andy Lau ('Hero') will join old standards such as "Chairman Mao is with Us Forever" and other patriotic ballads.
The newspaper says that students apparently were bored with the old anthems.
One student quoted by the newspaper said the children are always asked to sing what he called "monotonous revolutionary songs." But he said finally they can sing something of their own.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP.