24 Dec 2020

Donation will help NZ children to see

From Nine To Noon, 9:35 am on 24 December 2020
education, elementary school, learning and people concept - group of school kids sitting and listening to teacher in classroom from back

Photo: 123RF

We have an update on a story Nine to Noon featured six months ago. Professor Steven Dakin University of Auckland's School of Optometry & Vision Science drew attention to the sight problems in primary school children and the fact many remain undiagnosed for years due to insufficient eye checks.  

He estimated one in ten children need glasses and advocated a range of measures including a nationwide mobile school screening programme - as always the stumbling block was funding. Well that's changed with a generous $1.8 million donation for a mobile screening bus from Aucklanders Peter and Rae Fehl.