RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REFRACTIVE ERROR AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

The prevalence of refractive error is currently attracting worldwide attention as many recent studies report dramatic increases over the last 20 years. In Nigeria, approximately 1/3 of the refractive error population are in school age. Poor vision in children affects their performance in school and has a negative influence on their future. As a final year student of Optometry, I carried out research on this thesis and had the opportunity to use Chrisland School as one of my case studies.

The screening at Chrisland lasted four days, between the 1st and 4th of June, 2009. The classes screened were from year two to year six. Lower years were excluded because the research was restricted to pupils between the ages of six to twelve years old.Out of the four schools included in the research, Chrisland had the best standard with respect to administration, staff and pupils. Infrastructural, it was also at the top.

By the end of the research, I found out that most pupils who had wonderful academic performances had no refractive error or were already using glasses to “correct” the refractive error. I also observed that short-sighted pupils who were seated close enough to the white-board performed well. However those seated farther away, who were unable to see the board clearly had poorer grades. Short-sighted people see close things clearly; they can therefore concentrate more on their books and other close activities. On the other hand, they ignore distant objects and activities.

I also discovered that a higher percentage of long-sighted pupils performed poorly in class. This is because they have difficulty seeing close things. As a result, they experience eye strain after reading for a while and would usually abandon such an activity. Pupils who had astigmatism were either above average, average or below average depending on the degree of the astigmatism.

What exactly is refractive error?Before discussing refractive error, it is important we know how a normal eye functions.The eye is an organ that allows you to see. The cornea, iris, pupil, and lens focus light rays from an object onto the retina to form an image. The retina then sends this image on to the brain to interpret what we see.In normal vision, when light rays from an object enter the eye, the cornea and the lens focus the light rays onto the retina which is the light sensitive membrane at the back of the eye. When the light rays fail to focus on the retina, refractive error results.

There are three main types of refractive errors they include: Myopia (short-sightedness), Hyperopia (long-sightedness), and Astigmatism. Myopia (short-sightedness):People with this condition cannot see distant objects clearly because:

The eyeball is too long which makes the retina farther away from the cornea and lens OR

The cornea shape is too curved making the rays of light converge before the retina. Hyperopia ( long-sightedness):People with this condition cannot see nearby objects clearly because:

The eyeball is too short which makes the retina too close to the cornea and lens OR The cornea shape is not curved enough making the rays of light converge after the

retina. AstigmatismPeople with this condition cannot see both far and near objects clearly because the cornea of the eye is oddly shaped, causing light rays from an object to scatter through the eye ball rather than focus at a single point on the retina.

In most cases, refractive error is easily remedied by corrective eyeglasses. Eyeglasses enable children (and adults) to see more clearly, improving their potential for academic success and alleviating the social and behavioral problems that often accompany the frustration of not being able to see properly. Without eyeglasses, children with refractive error (and other visual impairments) struggle in school, straining to make out blurry images on the board, squinting to see classroom demonstrations, and falling behind on everyday tasks like homework. Even leisure activities such as playing ball or watching movies present difficulties that teachers, family, and friends do not always understand. Frustrated by the inability to see clearly, a child may “act out” and be labeled as having a learning or behavior problem. Poor vision may even lead a child to drop out of school as a result of chronically poor academic performance. For a child with a visual impairment, corrective eyeglasses are as academically essential as books, papers, and pencils.

In conclusion, planning a youth's career is very much dependent on the visual acuity, especially in jobs for navy, military, railways, aviation etc. Parents are advised to take their children for routine eye check for prevention, early detection and treatment of visual and ocular problems especially glaucoma, retinal degeneration and refractive errors to prevent permanent disability.

By Adigwe Ifeoma Mary-AnneDept. of OptometryUniversity of Benin2009.

Are videogames bad for children?

A child's mind is like a sponge. It picks up concepts and learns new things readily. Video games, although entertaining, are taking time away from a child's learning. Instead of killing zombies, etc, a child can be learning new things, reading books, and finding out the secrets to his favourite things. I am very interested in learning new things, especially in the areas of the sciences. When I get started learning things about the human body, I can spend hours on the subject. This is what a child should be doing: finding a topic he is interested in and discovering new facts about it he had not known before.

Lots of children love games. But too much of anything is bad. It's true that some studies have shown certain video games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and the mind's ability to process information. But too much video game playing can cause health problems.

It's hard to get enough active play and exercise if you're always inside playing video games. And without enough exercise, kids can become overweight. Overdoing video games also could affect other important stuff, like friendships and how well a child does in school. There is also a

supposition that violent video games can affect a child’s brain.

But here's the good news: Playing video games some of the time can be OK. Just aim for no more than 1 or 2 hours a day and choose non-violent games and games that are for the child’s age.

By Kenechukwu NwosuLoyola Jesuit CollegeClass of 2007 Chrisland School Opebi.