Government plans to build on the Olympic legacy and increase sporting culture in schools could be hampered by pupils’ poor eyesight, said independent optician support group Sight Care following a new report.
A bid to create a culture that encourages children to be active and enjoy sport has seen £150m of investment earmarked by government for PE and sport, but Sight Care has revealed worrying data on participants.
The survey of more than 1,500 people found that almost a fifth of respondents said they struggled to see the ball when playing sport and nearly 10 per cent said they had been unable to take part in some sports because their vision was so poor. Of further concern was the 16 per cent that said they struggled to even see their teammates and the 13 per cent that complained of blurred vision.
Sight Care Group chief executive Paul Surridge said: ‘Sport experts, ministers and educationalists share a clear vision that sport should play a key role in the life of every school child – and that the spirit of the Olympic legacy should be harnessed to encourage children out onto the playing field.
‘But it is so important that the children themselves have clear vision so that when they are out on the pitch or the running track they can get the very best out of the sporting opportunities on offer.’
The survey also showed that 60 per cent of children don’t have regular visits to the optician, while 10 per cent of parents asked said they never had their children’s eyes tested.