Huge leap in reading results at Harlaxton
HARLAXTON State School principal Maxine Lester knew the importance of good eye health for her young students, but she had no idea exactly how much it would help the school.
Last May the Essilor Vision Foundation launched in Australia with a visit to Harlaxton State School, known for a high proportion of indigenous and lower socio-economic students.
As part of the inaugural event, 83 of the school’s 112 students received free eye tests, with 32 referred for further testing at an optometrist’s clinic.
On average between one quarter and one third of students with referrals would go on to need glasses.
Students deemed to need spectacles were provided with a free set and the results were staggering.
“It has made a huge difference,” Mrs Lester said.
“We’ve got a remedial reading program, but with the new glasses we’ve got kids who have gone up 10 reading levels and parents who are so excited because they didn’t know their kids couldn’t see.”
For the program’s Australian CEO, Greg Johnson, it was the perfect circle to return to the school yesterday to test the next round of Prep students.
He said the foundation and its volunteers had tested students in more than 20 schools across Queensland,
Victoria and South Australia, with a further 50 schools on a waiting list.
First-year practising optometrist Kirsty Lowe said
she first heard about the program through her work at Somerville, Merrin Neilson Optometrists and was keen to get on board
straight away.
She said testing young children was a rewarding process because often they weren’t even aware they had
poor eyesight.
Ms Lowe joined six final year optometry students who all donated their time at the event yesterday.