Trachoma is a major cause of blindness in Ethiopia and is widespread throughout the country. No health education for blindness prevention is conducted in schools even though 62% of the eligible children attend primary school. Because of the low cost and potential benefit of such a strategy, we developed a programme of health education for eye infections targeted to primary schools and tested it in the rural town of Metahara. Students were given examinations before and after the programme. Their knowledge improved from a mean score of 4.3/9 to 6.2/9 (p<0.005). the="" prevalence="" of="" moderate="" and="" severe="" trachoma="" decreased="" from="" 12.1%="" to="" 3.3%=""><0.001) in="" one="" year,="" and="" the="" prevalence="" of="" conjunctivitis="" from="" 7.5%="" to="" 0.4%=""><0.001). health="" education="" for="" the="" prevention="" of="" blindness="" in="" primary="" schools="" should="" be="" a="" priority="" in="" ethiopia="" and="" yearly="" eye="" examinations="" of="" school="" children="" by="" local="" health="" staff="" should="" be="">