SCHOOL EYESIGHT SURVEY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27985, 4 June 1956, Page 9

SCHOOL EYESIGHT SURVEY

BOARD BANS FURTHER TESTS

INDEPENDENT ACTION BV HEADMASTER (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. June 3. The Wellington Education Board has forbidden the headmaster of Lyall Bay School (Mr W. Clift) to conduct 1 any more surveys on the sight of cntl- ' dren at his school, or to organise any tests outside those provided for »n I the routine school health checks, j A survey bv Mr Clift had shown : that 5 per’ cent, of his pupils needed a full investigation into their eyesight. This 5 per cent, had not ! been found by the regular tests

Mr Clift reported this at a mooting of the council of the Wellincton Federation of Parent-Teacher and Home and School Societies. After the survey, the Home and School Association decided to refer I the matter to the Wellington Ed dealt ion Board. As a result. tx>ard . had a report prepared by the Health i Department, which stated that “5 per cent, of untraced cases through the I ordinary tests was not a disturbing result.” , . . Mr Clift was told by the board that no further surveys were to be conducted, though the opticians were willing to conduct them free of A parent of a Lyall Bay child met the board’s committee to discuss the matter. This man said he felt the main consideration that had kent the board from questioning present testing methods was the cost of new equipment. The authorities were not prepared to do anything more, and the parents would have to take any further steps desired. The meeting of the Parent-Teacher Federation decided to advise schools of the result of the survey, and to foster publicity. e A spokesman for the Education Board said the board was not pre--1 pared to comment at present, but would probably issue a detailed statement later.