Al-Ahram Weekly On-line
17 - 23 September 1998
Issue No.395
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 Current issue | Previous issue | Site map
First school-day AND ITS BACK TO THE BOOKS again as 16.5 million students and school children on Saturday. The Ministry of Education has vowed to keep the costs of children's schooling as low as possible in an effort to boost enrolment and reduce drop-out rates.

The campaign to discourage private lessons will continue nationwide, a move aimed to alleviate financial pressures on parents who are already feeling the pinch after last week's frenzied quest for the perfect school bag, a uniform that fits and, the by now virtually compulsory, reams and reams of colourful stationary.

photo: Sherif Sonbol