著者

高橋 ひとみ/川端 秀仁/衞藤 隆

出版者

桃山学院大学

雑誌

桃山学院大学人間科学 (ISSN:09170227)

巻号頁・発行日

no.45, pp.89-110, 2014-03-28

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Children are given visual acuity tests at school. The purpose of the tests is to facilitate school education. There are two types of visual acuity: far- and near-vision visual acuity. Far-vision visual acuity is required, for example, when reading something written on a whiteboard in a classroom. On the other hand, near-vision visual acuity is needed when reading textbooks, notebooks, or when looking at computer screens. However, only far-vision visual acuity tests are typically included in medical examinations at public schools. We believe that a near-vision visual acuity test is necessary, and so in this paper we analyze some basic data about the relationship between children's near-vision visual acuity and their learning efficiency. For the purposes of the paper, we examined both far-vision and near-vision visual acuity, refraction test, questionnaire survey of children at an elementary school. We found that approximately20% of the children had poor, near-vision visual acuity. In addition,8% of the children had only poor near-vision visual acuity. We further found that children with poor far- and near-vision acuity had more learning difficulties compared with children of normal visual acuity. Among children with learning difficulties, the percentage of children with poor far-vision acuity was the same as that of children with poor near-vision acuity. Children whose far-vision visual acuity is found to be lacking are given remedial treatment. We therefore strongly recommend the addition of near-vision visual acuity tests in public schools so that children found to have near-vision acuity problems can be given treatment too. We have to carry out near-vision visual acuity tests and guarantee all children an opportunity to learn.