Opera for students in trial stage

China's Ministry of Education has announced a pilot program to teach students traditional Peking Opera in primary and secondary schools.

Deemed one of the nation's unique cultural treasures,the opera will be added into music courses for 200 schools in ten provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. But the latest effort to promote traditional culture in the younger generation has raised diverse opinions.

Students in many primary and secondary schools across the country found some old Peking Opera pieces in their music classes as the new semester began on Monday.

The Education Ministry project added 15 famous pieces of Peking Opera, both classical and modern, into music courses. Music teachers were required to learn how to perform the opera before introducing it to their students.

Officials say the class is a meaningful move to uphold China's national spirit, promote cultural heritage and cultivate student's patriotism.

Cai YAn, principal of Nanjing Chengxianjie Primary School, said, "Students at our school are loving Peking Opera more and more."

But the move has aroused controversy. While acknowledging the positive nature of the move, some say the course should not be mandatory as students' choices should be respected. Many people propose different local operas be taught in different regions according to their local culture. And some worry there might not be enough qualified teachers for the task.

Liu Yun, principal of Nanjing Santiaoxiang Primary School, said, "We normally don't have professional opera teachers at school. And the cost of training staff and conducting classes is also an issue."

Wang Shanping, teacher of Jiangsu Opera School, said, "Students' interest in Peking Opera must be promoted gradually through edification. It's not a short process."

The Ministry of Education says the program is still in a trial phase and the ministry will continue to solicit opinions from all circles. Comprehensive training will also start next month to recruit more qualified staff to teach the opera lessons.

Peking Opera has a history of more than 200 years. It's a synthesis of music, dance, art and acrobatics and is widely regarded as a symbolic expression of Chinese culture.