Show MANY PUPilS SUFFER FROM POOR VISION I One Out Of 11 In Cities Defective Report I i Shows I WORSE IN COUNTRY I Means Must Be Found to Relieve Handicap i Of Thousands I July 1 I A nIC iP 1 The National association a must resist with will 1111 I nil all Its It pow ower er the attempt pt that lint thatIs Is I. I being helm made to put an Iron Ironi i limit band around the growing treo of or r education d ua lion Yam N J. J Blair stale 1 superintendent of ot otI I public Instruction Instruct Ion of or Illinois I declared to In an flit 1 l before the lie ns m. m In Jo addition to fixing by b law I the specific tic subject which shall be lie taught we H w c now are nrc laced faced with a n more mote dangerous law isis I proposal to 10 prohibit by b the lie leaching of if certain sub I I Mr lr Blair swill said Ihl a pro pro- proposal I pO which t may clo do c e the thedoor I door toor to free and open e Investigation tI- tI I gatlon gation ollon of the thc truth ruth and pall pad padlock lock hock tic the door with Hh w n ii statute INDIANAPOLIS INDA APO JUlY s.-JUlY July 1 A W 4 AOne One child out or of o every ever 11 in the public schools of oC American cities and one of oC every ever seven in the schools In iii the rural districts in the United States Slats have hl such seriously defective vision Islon as IS to be handi handi- handicapped handicapped handicapped capped In their school work says san saysa sana a report presented today lo to the th National Education association The report entitled Conserving the Sight Hight of ot School Children is 15 the result of ot more than a years year's study studs by the he t Joint committee on health problems pro lems in education of oC the National Education and the Amer Amer- American American ican Medical association with co cooperation co- co cooperation cooperation operation of ot the national commit commit- committee tee for the prevention of ot blindness fhe The study studs conducted under the I direction of ot Dr Thomas D. D I Wood of ot Columbia university as charT cliar man maru ma extended into 37 37 rural districts including every ever slate state In the union It was sas participated in by the school authorities and health officials of all ati ll these com corn communities and by nearly of or the most eminent ophthalmologists of ot the United Stales States The report cov coy covering covering ering 50 60 printed pages loges will be brought to tho the attention of ot every er e city state slate and county superintend superintend- superintendent ent of schools MANY IY I Y C The Investigators found that during the year of ot this study ap alJ- approximately ap- ap approximately proximately school chil chil- children children children dren received eye C examinations and that an average of ot about 12 per percent percent cent of or these were found f und to have defective vision This figure says pas I the report suggests that consider consider- considerable considerable able progress in eyesight conSider I conser- conser conservation atlon has been becu made In schools since previous studies and this thia progress has resulted In decreased I percentages of or e eye ec e defects I Rural nural districts generally reported a larger per cent of ot defective via vis vision I ion than city districts It seems I likely says sas the report that this is due to such differing factors actors as all I conditions under which the tests were obtained bad Illumination in rural rura schools and homes and anti the small smart number of oC corrections of visual defects provided for tor rural children STATEn STATE The Thc problem facing lacing school ad ad- administrators administrators today toda declares this report is to find e effective means of oC removing the handicap of de defective de- de defective vision of ot one-eighth one of the school children This Is Important not only to secure great great- greater er efficiency in acquiring an nn edu edu- education education cation but to conserve C vision for tor greater greatel helpfulness In adult Ufa lito and In old age The report reveals that In only 17 states slates is tho the examination of or the eyes of or school children compulsory that In 14 1 other states stales it Is h merely permissive and that of or the tho 17 I slates states requiring eye ee examinations very Ir few Cew specify the portion of ot school population to be examined 01 or the frequency with which such examinations should be made I nECO I 1 EX H Recommendations in the report follow As AH It is likely that teachers nurses and other ot h r non-medical non school examiners will make many of oC the till eye ee inspections for some time lime timeto I to come It Il Is la most desirable that the school personnel bl b be carefully I Instructed In III the best methods of ot conserving sight I Tho The eyes ees of all pupils should bo lie examined yearly under tho the best I possible conditions by tho ho most skilled sk persons available a I Every Ever teacher should be trained to 10 report to the health division of ot the schools any an abnormal eve con con- condition condition condition which may be discovered ered There Is used need for a uniform model law for the examination of ot the he eyes III of ot school children In all I states state and cities clUes of the United States Stales Greater emphasis must b be placed on conserving childrens children's vision es especially es- es from the Ue standpoint of ot finding and correcting the faulty conditions of ot providing properly lighted class clans and vork Work Workrooms rooms making special provision through I conservation ion of vision clase for those haying having seriously defective e eyesight While While- the core of ot the physical well being of or the child as far ta r as all his school life lite Is hi concerned la ta a duty which devolves devol ts upon teacher teachers nurses nunn school physicians and oth other er school personnel this fact Is Ie In III Inno inno no sense I ln to 10 Imply that th t parents parenti are lue areto areto to 10 be relieved relle of ot their duties |