Cape Coast, Feb. 12, GNA - Dr Godwin

Ovenseri-Ogbomo of the Department of Optometry in

the University of Cape Coast, on Monday told parents to

disabuse their minds that children who wear spectacles

at an early age would become blind later in life,

because the claim had no scientific proof. He said it was rather important for parents to

screen their children's eyes regularly, adding that a

recent study conducted on a number of school children

in Cape Coast showed that only six out of 961 examined

had previously had eye examinations and were wearing

glasses. Dr Ovenseri-Ogbomo said this at the launch of a

four-month vision screening pilot projects for selected

first cycle schools in Cape Coast. The forum, which was organized by Child-Leaner

Development Organisation (CLEDOR), was among other

things to advocate the improvement of teaching and

learning environments, conduct research to understand

and deal with problems that confront the child-learner. Dr Ovenseri-Ogbomo urged teachers to observe

their pupils carefully, especially those who sit at the

back of the class and did not pay attention. He said the child's ability to see clearly what was

written on the chalkboard influenced his or her ability

to participate in class and that this was more often due

to the presence of undetected and uncorrected

refractive error. Mr Francis Mensah-Okyere Acting Executive Director

of CLEDOR, said 10 schools in the Cape Coast

metropolis were going to benefit from the pilot

programme, which was aimed at improving teaching

and learning environments for first and second cycle

schools and were restricted in their fullest development

due to mild innate challenges, giftedness, talents, poor

education and social environments including poor

teaching and learning methodologies. Dr Edward Teye Atta, Board Member of CLEDOR

said the pilot programme, which would last for four

months would be dealing with poor study habits,

unfavourable environment and mild visual impairment,

which he described as the causes of

underachievement. He said the programme would be extended to the

other nine regions. In all more than 500 pupils were screened.