By Sumeyya Ilanbey
Seventy Melton children have been given “the gift of sight” thanks to a new initiative being rolled out across Victorian public schools.
As part of the Glasses for Kids initiative, University of Melbourne optometry students screened hundreds of Melton pupils. If the screening indicated more testing was required, they were referred to Specsavers Melton.
Specsavers Melton optometrist Ioannis Pataridis says that for the children he has tested so far, he has prescribed 70 pairs of glasses, which the students can get for free thanks to Department of Education and Training Victoria-supported charity State Schools
Relief.
“Everyone deserves the right to be able to see clearly and it has been wonderful to be able to assist these kids in the important years of their development,” he said.
“Many parents have said that they didn’t know there was anything wrong with their child’s eyes, but as many common eye conditions have no symptoms, it can be hard for parents to see that there may be cause for concern.
“Screening every child’s eyes has really helped, especially for the younger children, who may find it hard to explain the difficulties they are experiencing.”
State Schools Relief president Barry Smith said Glasses for Kids was making a significant impact on children’s lives and setting them up for a “brighter future”.
For more information about Glasses for Kids, visit education.vic.gov.au
