Needy primary and middle school students in Shunyi in eastern Beijing will get free education and uniforms starting next September, according to education authorities.

Shunyi will offer free textbooks to about 60,000 students and school uniforms to about 41,000 who have registered permanent residences in the district.

The district is the first in Beijing to set forth detailed provisions on free compulsory education.

China's capital plans to offer free nine-year compulsive education in the coming five years.

"Besides the exemption of tuition, miscellaneous fees as well as free textbooks, we are also considering offering every student with a local registered permanent residence and three sets of school uniforms," said Jia Linxin, an official with Shunyi education committee.

Students will get uniforms in the first and fourth grades of primary school and the first grade of middle school.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2005)