Myopia in the Classroom

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, January/February 2024 Issue

By Deidre Olsen

The future might be one in which every student wears glasses. In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia in children and teenagers has skyrocketed, becoming a pressing global health issue. The situation is so dire that, in Singapore, 83% of young adults have been diagnosed with the condition, which has led to the country being called “the myopia capital of the world.”

People with myopia—also known as near-sightedness or short-sightedness—can clearly see objects up close but find distant objects blurry. It is estimated that by 2050, nearly half of the world will have the condition. In North America, the prevalence of myopia has soared from 28% in 2000 to 42% in 2020.

In the past, this alarming trend was largely attributed to genetics. However, experts now agree that the significant amount of time children and teenagers spend inside and on screens is the leading cause behind this phenomenon.

These behaviours can have adverse vision outcomes on young children whose eyes are still developing. When their eyes focus on near objects instead of distant ones, this causes their eyeballs to elongate, and eventually leads to the development of near-sightedness, which can affect all areas of their lives.

“For children with uncorrected myopia, this means they may be missing out on a lot of learning, hindering their educational experience,” says Naomi Barber, Director of Optometry at Specsavers. “Vision is critical for education, development, social confidence, fitness, overall well-being, and participation in all that school life has to offer.”

Thankfully, there are several proactive measures that can be taken in a school context to improve education for kids struggling with myopia.

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Deidre Olsen is a Canadian, award-nominated writer based in Berlin.

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Deidre Olsen
Deidre Olsen
Deidre Olsen is a Canadian, award-nominated writer based in Berlin.

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