The validity of the visual acuity screening in school children carried oat by the teacher - comparative study of the visual acuity measurement by the teacher and the ophthalmologist from the city of S. Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The Sanitary Ophthalmology School Plan is in process in the State of S. Paulo, Brazil. It includes 1st grade primary school children, special classes and kindergarten of the government schools. The teachers play an important part in the programme as to the educational aspect and the visual acuity screening. This report presents an evaluation of the visual acuity test done by the teacher in comparison with the one carried out by the ophthalmologist. Both of them make use of the Snellen optometrical table. 1352 first to fourth-grade children from a primary school in the county of S. Paulo in 1975 were tested. Results were concordant in 80.86% of the cases. In 122 cases (9.02%) there was a difference of 2 lines in the results obtained by the teacher and the eye doctor; in 54 cases (3.99%) there was a difference of 3 lines. As greater differences were checked, the number of cases progressively decreased. This fact occurred as regards both eyes, showing a failure of those children in responding to the test, probably due to their difficulty of interpretation. The application of the visual acuity screening by a well-trained teacher is valid, as one of the ways of detecting school children who need eye examination.