21
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1979
PLAN TO EXPAND VISION SCREENING PROGRAMME
TO COVER 60,000 PRIMARY 1 CHILDREN
*******
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS PLANNING TO EXPAND THE VISION SCREENING PROGRAMME THIS ACADEMIC YEAR TO COVER 60,000 PRIMARY 1 CHILDREN IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE HON. KENNETH TOPLEY IN REPLY TO THE QUESTION FROM THE HON. ANDREW SO IN RELATION TO VISUAL PROBLEMS OF STUDENTS.
MR. TOPLEY POINTED OUT THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION HAD BEEN CONDUCTING VISION SCREENING IN GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS SINCE SEPTEMBER 1973.
+ IT IS FOUND THAT ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF THE CHILDREN HAVE VISUAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS MYOPIA, HYPERMETROPIA, ASTIGMATISM AND SQUINTING. BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THESE SCREENING TESTS, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SUFFERING FROM MYOPIA AND OTHER EYE DÉFECTS DOES NOT PRESENT A SERIOUS PROBLEM, HE SAID.
ON EYE CARE, MR. TOPLEY SAID A PAMPHLET WAS NOW BEING JOINTLY PRODUCED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE JAYCEES AND WOULD BE ISSUED TO ALL SCHOOLS WHEN READY.
HE SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD INCLUDED, IN BOTH THE PRIMARY HEALTH EDUCATION SYLLABUS AND THE JUNIOR SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM, ESSENTIAL TOPICS ON EYE CARE AND PREVENTION OF INJURIES TO EYES.
EVERY YEAR IN OCTOBER, HE SAID, A CIRCULAR WAS SENT ADVISING HEADS OF SCHOOLS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE PUPILS ARE NOT SUBJECTED TO ANY UNDUE EYE STRAIN.
+ADVICE IS GIVEN ON LIGHTING AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME, ON PERSONAL HYGIENE AND ON THE PREVENTION OF EYE ACCIDENTS, HE SAID.
+ THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ISSUES GUIDELINES, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER, TO SPECIFY THE SIZE OF PRINT AND THE TYPE OF PAPER TO BE USED FOR TEXTBOOKS, MR. TOPLEY ADDED.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PROTECT YOUR EYE SIGHT CAMPAIGN+ JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE JAYCEES LAST AUGUST WAS WELL SUPPORTED.
/22