Justin Chadwick, whose credits include The Other Boleyn Girl, is to direct The First Grader. Ann Peacock has written the screenplay.

The story, set in Kenya in 2003, tells the story of 84 year old village elder who uses a government initiative to introduce free primary school to get the education he had always craved. Together with the principal of the village school, he takes on the government in his quest for an education.

BBC Films is developing the project with Sixth Sense Productions and David Thompson’s Origin Pictures. Shooting will commence this summer and the cast is yet to be announced.

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