New Westminster students to receive eye exams

  • 2014-08-14
Starting this September, kindergarten students in New Westminster will be tested to make sure that their eyes are in good health.

It was announced that the school district has agreed to work with vision professionals from the BC Association of Optometrists.

The eye care professionals will test each child’s sight to make sure that their vision is good, and the industry will provide glasses and cases to those who need them.

The program, called ‘Eye See… Eye Learn’, was started in Alberta in 2003, and in 2008, Ontario launched its own version.

According to the Vice President of the Association of Optometrists, one in four students starting school have an eye problem that is not identified. Correcting this can get them off to a good start in their academic careers.

The district welcomes the plan, and the Superintendent noted that this will help to enhance student learning and address barriers that can occur due to poor vision.

Most of the eye exams will be paid for through the BC health insurance system, and the optometrists will cover the costs of those that aren’t.

An initiative like this has an excellent chance to reaching those students who have a vision problem but are not aware of it. Brochure printers can produce pamphlets that let parents know about the program and exactly how it works.