Education in Sight

A program called Education in Sight has been at my school for the last two days. They work with both schools and local glasses providers to give free glasses to all students who need them. Over the past two weeks or so, the banzhurens (homeroom teachers) of each class conducted basic eyesight tests to see who needed glasses. This week these 150 students were sent, one class at a time, for more complete testing in a dark meeting room. The higher grades had many students while the lower grades had only a few in need of glasses.

Waiting excitedly.

First, a quick look into the eyes.

Then a look at the eye chart. I was immediately struck
by the eyechart...they're all E's! Instead of reading, you're
supposed to give the orientation: up, down, left, or right.

What about that huge lens-switching apparatus? Instead, they have this case of lenses...

Which are placed in frames such as these.

The student being tested was often pretty hesitant, but those around them were excited and curious. Until it was their turn.

Because of the way the eye chart uses orientation, the students signaled their answers with a pointing finger.

Fitting for the frames.

Frame selection.

This was all pretty much in order, except that I skipped one step between the eye exam and the frame selection and fitting: stepping outside and looking around.

It's an exciting project because a pair of glasses can make a big difference for these kids. I found it interesting, though, listening to many of the local teachers talking about the students eyesight. They blamed it all on TV. The eyeglass providers blamed it on studying so much. The vice-principal explained to me that she thought doing manual labor when you are young is good for your eyes because you look at the scenery, not just close-up things like the TV or books. It was clearly interpreted as a modern problem. There was a sense among the teachers that since most of them didn't need glasses, it was a difference in the younger generation. But I can't help wondering if it's because those students who did need glasses never made it through the education system. Never became teachers.

I'm sure it's all of these reasons combined--and modern technology may be a contributing factor--but I doubt poor eyesight is a particularly modern problem, and in all the discussion I never heard mention of the effect it can have on students. What if it's easier to give up than to see the board?