The Shanghai Education Commission plans to collect opinions from teachers on the choices before announcing the final list, one official said. According to The Shanghai Daily: 'The three songs [by Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists] encourage people to persevere in the face of difficulties or laud the good nature of the Chinese people.'

But the Youth Daily questioned whether songs like Snail contained patriotic values. 'If you just freely piece together some popular elements, then this kind of moral education is too simple and wrong,' it said.

The song's lyrics include the lines: 'I must crawl up step by step. And at the highest point, endure the darkness and ahead I fly,' according to a translation carried on a fans' website.

The other two songs proved less controversial. Chinese includes the line: 'Let the whole world know we are all Chinese people.' And although Hero is less obviously patriotic, some critics feel that a hero is a better role model than a snail. 'Never waste a second of your life, pursue our dreams with a full heart and hard work,' the song says.

The mainland has previously embraced singers and other artists for government-backed causes while isolating others over sensitive political issues. Authorities barred pop diva Sherry Chang Huei-mei from the mainland for more than a year after she sang at the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian.

Predictably, children were enthusiastic about the move to include popular songs. 'We are always asked to sing monotonous revolutionary songs,' one student told a local paper. 'Finally we can sing something of our own.'

In fact, local students have called for more pop songs in the curriculum, saying the tunes should be chosen by popular vote, not a panel of experts. Some have even argued that more popular culture, ranging from books to movies, should enter the classroom.