Putting people first with free glasses in schools

Students in Melbourne’s outer north will receive free eye testing and glasses at school in a Victorian-Edit Edit visibilityfirst.

The Andrews Labor Government today launched the Glasses for Kids program.

More than 30,000 Prep to Year 3 students at 250 schools most in need will have their eyes tested and receive free glasses under the program.

Children with undiagnosed vision problems often find it hard to concentrate at school, leading to poor results and bad behaviour – yet many struggling families avoid eye testing because of the cost.

Glasses for Kids has been trialled in 24 schools across Gippsland and Melbourne, and will now be rolled out in a further 226 schools around the state.

Eligible schools include Roxburgh Rise Primary School.

The Labor Government has also partnered with Melbourne University to deliver Glasses for Kids, with supervised final-year optometry students to carry out vision testing at 160 schools.

Providing Glasses for Kids is about putting Victorian students and their families first to make sure every child has access to a great school and the opportunity to succeed in life. That’s why we are also:

  • Providing kids at four schools in the Yuroke electorate with a free breakfast as part of the School Breakfast Clubs Program so they can concentrate, learn and reach their full potential;
  • Helping over 4,000 local kids take part in school camps and excursions in 2016 under the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund;
  • Giving thousands of local students regular access to the healthcare they need at school, with both of the government secondary schools in the Yuroke electorate (Craigieburn Secondary College & Mt Ridley P-12 College) taking part in Australia’s first Doctors in Secondary Schools Program;
  • Providing thousands of school uniforms items to local families on Affordable School Uniforms Program over the past two years.

A list of schools participating in the Glasses for Kids program can be found here: www.education.vic.gov.au/about/educationstate/Pages/glassesforkids.aspx