The Ordway new era., 1910-07-29
He COULD NOT READ NJ
Scholar Punished For Having Poor
Eyesight. Not so in Colorado

eyes. The whole course OF instruction
Is arranged on the supposItion that the
scholar has good sight. But to sup
pose good sight for all children is not
correct. and may work great injustice.
One Of the best health officers Den
yer ever had was very near sighted.
He knew it when boy but was not
allowed to wear glasses. One day his
teacher told him to read something
from the blackboard across the room.
He could not do It, The teacher told
annthor boy to read it., who did.
Then, turning to the boy who was so
near.sighted he could not read 1t at a
quarter OF the distance, the teacher
again told him to read 1t. Again he
said he could not. So his ears were
boxed and he got ten demerits "for
Obstinacy,"
The new Jaw about the examination
OF school cllildren's eyes is to put an
end to everything like that in Colo
RADIO. The scholar cannot be abused
by u teacher who does not know that
his sight is defective. Neither can
the scholar impose on the teacher by
claiming defect that he has not
got.
A child who is to be promoted, or
who wishes to enter school above the
lowest grade, Is examined to lind out
II he knows enough to 20 on with his
work prohLably In certain class.
Why should he not be examined to
find out II he can see enough to 60 on
with his studies In any class?
1t might be thought that if a
ctild's eyes were defective he would
know 1t, or his parents would know
IL. But often they do not. Parents
often do not notice defects In their
children's eyes that strangers see at
once. They are So used to their chill.
!dren and their ways that they think
OF these as only Il little peculiar. Very
often children have defective eyes and
do not know IL.
Grown people sometimes complain
Of poor sight, but when tested 1t Is
found quite as good as the standard
for perfect eyes; and often they
think they see az well as anybody
when their vision Is quite defective.
Sometimes a person thirty or forty
years old suddenly iinds out that one
eye Is quite blind; an examination
shows that the defect has been there
from childhood. or from birth. Chill
dren are generally disposed to take
things as they come. and think every
body eyes are like theirs. They are
less likely to recognize their own de-
fects than grown people.
The tests OF sight which the teach
tell everything about the scholars
eyes. But they will show II the
sight IL good enough to read what Is
written on the blackboard, and TO
enable the pupils to study their les
SONS with reasonable effort, or if one
eye has to do more than It's share OF
the wO:k.
II the eyes are much ncar.sightcd
they will be unable to read the test
letters at n proper distance. Near
sighted eyes, unless they wear the
proper glasses, are likely to become
more ncar.sighted doing school work.
The scholar holds things too close and
the eyes become strained. When they
get very near-sightcd they get weak,
aud are liable to cataract. and other
diseases, for which little can be done.
II the defect Is discovered early, the
proper lenses worn and care taken
not to hold things too close to the
eyes, these troubles can be avoided;
and as the person grows older the
near.sightedness may pass away.
Eyes which seem to see perfectly
may be farsighted. Such eyes may lind
reading, writing, sewing. drawing and
other ncar.luoking very hard. very
far.sighted eyes tend to turn in. get
"crossed." Eyes which are less far
sighted cause headache and strain on
the nerves. A boy with such eyes Is
very apt to dislike books. and get
blamed for lack Of interest in his
studies, or inattcntiOn. But really the
close looking requires an effort for
him that no grown person would be
willing to keep up. The glasses
which make up for this defect will
often make a good student out OF
poor one, II the cause OF trouble Is
recognized and corrected soon enough.
Astigmatism is defect OF focus In
the eyes which cause indistinct vision;
Its effects are felt when the eyes are
used much either for looking at a dis
tance, or for reading or other near
work. 1t may cause lines that run