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WILMETTE LIFE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1924 17 ( DEFECI'IVE EYES HANDICAP CHILD Conservation Council Finds Amazing Facta · of school children are ha nd ica pped i_n their st udies by de fect ive eyes, 1t is stated in a report embodyin g the result s of a survey by th e Eyesight Conservation ouncil of America of statutory prons1ons in the U nit ed Stat es and Territories for tes ting the si ght of pupils. "Thousand s of children," says the re port " are sufferin g from eyestrain , and Jarg~ number s are for ced to di scontinu e th eir endeavors to acquire an education because of thi s same physica l d efect . It has been con clusively proven that poor eyesight is an important associate cause of backwardness, stupidity, a ppar n.,t la zin ess and truancy." The report estimated 1hat at thi s t ime the number of children enrolled in the elementary and secondary sc hools of the United States exceeds 24.000,000, or more than 20 per cent of the population . More than 60 per nt of thi s number are said to ha ve '\ '-'~·IM t. antial eye d"'fects. "Even simple .1sual test s," the report continues, " reveal 25 per cent with manifest defects and symptoms of eyes train. Many are contending with vision so defective that mental development is seriously retarded and comfort, health. and even safety are jeopardized. Fully 6,000,000 of our school children are at a di sadvantage in their efforts to gain and education ." Conclu sion s .set forth In the report. applying to the country as a whole, say there is a wide diversity in the pro'llisions and regulation s. It was found that statutory provisions for the examination of the eyes of school children have not been adopted generally by State Legislatures, and th~t only twenty States have statutes providing for eye tests. There are only two other States that have board regula tions which take the place of statutes. aztd in most instances general P.hysical examination laws are not interpreted to include eye tests. Established statute s are called inadequate. In only thirteen States are the laws mandatory for all school district s. Separate sections dealing exelusively with e test~_;lre found on the statutes of . v.t sJt/'states and in onjunction with. tests for hearina- in ly three others. There is often a ·legation of dual responsibility upon Boards of Health and Education or authority not clearly defined. The necessity for keeping records and reportina- results to a designated State department is generally overlooked. Suitable provisions are not made for training teachers, school nurses or health inspectors in the methods of making tests. "The laws are not generally enforced," the report declares. "A systefatic effort is being made to enforce the laws in only eight States. There is practically no State supervision in at least thirty-three States and four Territories, and very little in seven others. A conservative estimate based upon analysis of the returns would be that Jess than one-third of the school children of the entire country are receiving visual tests. The word 'mandatory' has no significance in many instances." The report is published "as an argument that every State and Territory possession of the United States should recognize the importance of the care of the eyes of its future citizens· that tests for defective vision may b~ car~ied out advantageously by teachers m the schools with a negligible expenditure of time, money and effort and that State Boards of Health and Education should consider it their duty to approve and provide regula tions, instructios and the necessary ppliances and to so superivse the rork that all school children shall receive the attention that is their right." \A program is recommended for State educational departments, local school authorities, educators and teachers. Every State Board of Education is urged to bring about the observance o£ an eyesight conservation day. A model law is not required, according to the investigators, who state : "The conclusions indicate that no lay the existence of laws, but the disposition an dproper appreciation of autho,rities for the need for eye tests that is responsible for the commendable work that is being done in a few States and in certain communities." The responsibility is said to lie with !,he State. Boards of Education, which s ho~;~l~ 1ssue mandatory regulations prov1~111g for the conducting of eye tests 111 every urban and rural school !n the Sta~e ." There is pressing need, 1t was pomted out, for eye conservation in the rural districts as a part of the general plan to improve country life. The cooperation of State Boards of Health is advocated. The facts upon which the report is ase<l were obtained from Commis. onerli of Education and Commissioners of Health of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Panama Canal Zone, the Territories of Alaska, and Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippines Islands. ~l i lli o n s Announcement extraordinary , . MOTOR SALES A Direct Branch of Main Salesrooms·on Motor Row at Twenty-fifth and Michigan will fo~ally open t~night Amid the pleasing setting of excellently appointed salesrooms are displayed complete lines that include all current models of rr#Je Good MAXWELL SiX~·· You are cordially invited to come in tonight. See these cars in our new salesroom·s and learn about the still better service, facilities now available to Maxwell and Chrysler owners of the North Shore 1015-1017 DAVIS STREET ~ .. ~ \ \1 \ \ \\ I I I Evanston Wm. D. Reagan, Branch Manager ~ · !~ ~ + Telephone University 2277