KUALA LUMPUR: The overuse of electronic gadgets has led to a rise in visual impairment among school children, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said other contributing factors include hereditary predisposition, eye injuries and diseases such as amblyopia.
"Data revealed that last year, 6.3 per cent of Year One pupils had visual impairment.
“(Meanwhile), 4.1 per cent of Year Six students and 2.7 per cent of Form Three students were found to also be visually impaired after being examined by school health services.
"The Education Ministry, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, has always ensured that students' health is taken care of (and this includes) educating them on eye care.
"Eye screenings are regularly performed by health officials, and students with vision problems are referred (to medical practitioners) and treated," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Chong was responding to a question from Mastura Mohd Yazid (BN-Kuala Kangsar), who inquired about the rate of visual impairment among school children recorded last year, and the factors that lead to them.
Amblyopia is the medical term for “lazy eye” – a condition in which the performance of one eye is reduced, due to a lack of coordination between the eye and brain. The affected eye appears healthy, but it is not being utilised normally because the brain is favouring the other eye.