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The National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations (NCPTA) has added its voice to calls from the European Sunglass Association's (ESA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to make the use of sunglasses compulsory in schools.

Margaret Morrissey, spokesperson for the charity which represents 13,000 PTAs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said: 'We need to get together to say to government that the issue of compulsory sunglasses in schools needs to be looked at seriously.' She said sunglasses should not be an optional part of school uniform, there should at least be a DCSF recommendation and perhaps even legislation.

Her comments came in response to ESA president Rod Lane's demands to the DSCF (Optician August 22), when responding to news that some UK schools had banned pupils from wearing sunglasses, even in playgrounds.

Morrissey added that it seemed 'bizarre' that schools should not allow children to wear sunglasses. 'As a nation we have insisted quite rightly on having gazebos in playgrounds to protect children from the sun as well as making them wear sunhats, and covering the backs of their necks. We're protecting everything apart from one of the most important things which is children's eyesight.'

Highlighting action that needed to be taken by the ESA and NCPTA, Morrissey said: 'We need to contact local government associations and find out where those authorities or schools that are not allowing children to wear sunglasses are, and make them explain to us why they can't wear sunglasses. We also need to make provision for proper sunglasses that conform to safety standards, which will be acceptable for school wear while also being affordable for parents.'

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