JOHOR BAHRU: Eyes are among the most important senses of our body. They allow us to see and learn from the surroundings. Up to 80% of learning can be a result of visual input in the early years.

However, with the changing lifestyle and visually demanding environment, eye problems among students have become a common issue. This is why maintaining their eye health is of paramount importance.

Regular eye checkups play a critical role in this by helping you detect any problem at an early stage. As per a report, over 50% of sight loss is preventable if detected early.

As students navigate their academic journey, they often require reading, looking at screens, and engaging in various visual tasks. These activities can strain the eyes. Increased addiction to screens adds to the existing strain.

A non-governmental organization, Lions Club of Skudai conducted free eye screening for school children in Ladang Rini.
Sundari Arumugam, vice-president of Lions Club of Skudai said young children often did not realise that they have problems with vision.

“Through this eye screening project, we can help parents and teachers identify the children who have eyesight problems and refer them to an optometrist or eye clinic for a complete examination,” she said, adding that the project is supported by the district education office.

It is vital for parents to send their children for early eye check-up, she said during a free eye screening session for SJK(T) Ladang Rini pupils in Iskandar Puteri.

The objective of the programme, she said is to raise awareness and reduce avoidable blindness amongst primary school children.

She said this is because during children’s formative years, the eye is at a developing stage and it is easier to seek treatment.

“Also, children are not aware of what is normal and abnormal. Any abnormality will be treated as normal as they would assume that everybody ‘sees’ the same things,” she said, adding that the normal visual development was rapid during the first six months of life and continued through the first decade.

Children, she said, would have higher risk of wearing glasses if both their parents wore spectacles.

She said a thorough eye check-up would reveal any potential visual impairment and could be treated earlier.

Some 226 students from the household with a monthly income of less than RM3,000 were given eye screening.

These students underwent eye screening facilitated by Season Optical.

At the first round of screening, 201 students required a second, more precise check using specialized equipment. Season Optical brought Autoref machines to the school to conduct these screenings.

Meanwhile, at the final results of testing, it was revealed that 43 students needed glasses to improve their vision.

According to Sundari, who is also the eye-screening service project at SJK(T) Ladang Rini, they encountered some resistance from parents who insisted that their children should not wear glasses.

She said the Lions Club of Skudai intends to educate the public about the importance of wearing glasses for children with vision issues.

“Proper vision is not only essential for daily life but also has a direct impact on a child’s learning and overall development.
She said they are thankful to Season Optical and SJK(T) Ladang Rini for their support and cooperation.

“With their help, we were able to donate 13 pairs of glasses at discounted rates, provide Snellen charts for every classroom, and contribute books to enrich the school library,” she stressed.

One of the prevalent impairment that children face is the amblyopia or commonly known as lazy eye.

Some of the symptoms include difficulty seeing the whiteboard which also leads to teachers’ complaint about the child being inattentive in class and avoidance of doing tasks where they are required to look at near distance objects such as doing school work.

Sundari said lazy eyes occurred when the vision of one eye was reduced because it failed to work properly with the brain.

“The brain and the eyes work together to produce vision where the eye focuses light on the back part of the eye known as the retina. Cells of the retina then trigger nerve signals that travel along the optic nerves to the brain.

“But due to several causes, such as uncorrected refractive errors, the vision of one eye is reduced because it fails to work properly with the brain. The eye itself looks normal, but the brain favours the other eye,” she said.

The project was a heartwarming experience for everyone involved. The students were excited to have their eyes checked and to receive free glasses.

The teachers were grateful for the opportunity to help their students and to ensure that they have good vision for their studies.

Season Optical and the Lions Club of Skudai are proud to have partnered to make this project a success. They are committed to supporting the community and to helping those in need.

“We are glad that we are able to create awareness among these students. It is part of the club’s philosophy to help the community,” added Sundari.