Visual acuity testing in schools: what needs to be done.

Abstract

Measurement of visual acuity is performed in schools to identify children with amblyopia and unilateral or bilateral refractive errors. The report of a joint working party recommended that children with visual acuity of 6/12 or worse in either eye should be referred for orthoptic assessment.1 The report specified that visual acuity should be measured in a quiet room by a trained school nurse using a properly illuminated Snellen chart at six metres. The British Standards Institute specifies a uniform external illumination of at least 480 lux.2 We performed a study to investigate whether visual acuity measurements in schools are carried out to these specifications and to compare the visual acuity measured in schools with that done in the orthoptic department. …