this is the Education Report.South Africa has 11 official languages.If you want to say hello,it's "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans.Now, South Africa's school childrenmay start using "ni hao" to say hello.The country's education minister says,the nation is adding the Mandarin language teachingin some schools.Mandarin is the official spoken language of China.That country is a major trading power for South Africa.A recent agreement between the two nationscenters on five areas of cooperation.They include development in basic education,school books and lessons, mathematics and science,teacher training and career education and research.South Africa officials have not saidhow much they teaching Mandarin will cost.Troy Martens is an officialswith South Africa's Ministry of Basic Education.She says the new partnership is extremely valuable."So it is very exciting and both countrieshave indicated that for them education is a high priority,and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaborationbetween the two countries," said Martens.The part of the plan that has garnered the most attentionis the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.A public opinion study last year foundthat South Africans have mixed feelings about China.The survey showed 46 percent of South Africansdo not like the spread of Chinese ideasand customs in their country,the results also showed that 60 percentdislike Chinese music, movies and television.But Ms Martens said Chinese tradeis more important than those feelings.She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africato study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture.And she said not every school will offer Mandarin."Now this will not be compulsory,it will not be for every school,and it will not be for every child.But for schools that feel they have the capacityto offer Mandarin as a subject,we think it is a great opportunityfor South African learners to be exposedto this international type of language," said Martens.South Africa's population studiesdo not say how many native Chinese speakersare among its nearly 51 million people.Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese Schoolin South Africa's capital.The school serves about 500 studentsfrom kindergarten to grade 12.Every student studies Mandarin.Ms Noonan says the school welcomesthe new cooperation between South Africa and China.She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin.She said that especially true with China becomingwhat she called "a huge economic power in the world".South African schools suffer from the country's history of apartheid.And from VOA Learning English, that's the Education Report.更多听力请访问51voa.com