The authorities in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, have announced that they will provide free uniforms and free exercise books to all pupils in state funded schools from September at a cost of $10.4m (£8.4m).
There are 600,000 pupils who will benefit, the authorities say.
Currently tuition is free but parents must pay for the uniforms and exercise books. This amounts to an estimated $17 per pupil, a cost that is difficult to meet for some families.
Four sets of uniforms will be designed, one for children in kindergarten, one for those in grades one to four, one for grades five to eight and one for grades nine to 12.
