In focus: Long-term view of myopia needed from policymakers

Gaining confidence, upskilling and becoming empowered would be among the positive results normally associated with gaining an education.

However, an important body of vision research has identified a negative health effect of the education system, and one completely unlinked to eye-watering tuition fees.

Myopia has been the focus on numerous public health studies in the past decade. Notably, the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study concluded in 2016 that myopia is twice as prevalent among the current generation of children as it was in the 1960s.

Now, a study led by the University of Bristol has shed some light on why the length of time spent in education is a causal risk factor for myopia.