§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he is introducing to improve screening of schoolchildren for sight problems. [119559]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Department of Health is responsible for the provision of eye checks undertaken by local primary health care teams in accordance with professional advice. The principal threats to eye health and impaired vision development should be detected, at or before school age, through health development checks or through a visual screening on school entry. Older children may develop myopia (short sight) which is usually recognised when they complain of difficulty seeing clearly at distance. Since the onset of myopia commonly occurs between the ages of nine and 16 it is not possible to identify optimum ages for screening. Children may "pass" a routine screening examination only to find problems within the next few months. Whenever parents or carers suspect that there is a problem with their child's sight they should take them to an optician. All children up to the age of 15 are entitled to free sight tests, as are children aged 16-18 if they are in full time education.
The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice provides practical advice to local education authorities, maintained schools and others on carrying out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children's special educational needs, including for children with visual impairment. The Code aims to promote consistency of approach, but, within its guidelines, it is for schools and LEAs to determine appropriate intervention based on an assessment of each child's individual needs and circumstances.