Chris Bennett: Lessons learned from back to school routine

Shiny shoes, smart new uniforms and freshly-sharpened pencils have, once again, been accompanied by prescient messages about eye care as the nation’s kids head back to school. But are professionals getting the support they need to advise pupils and parents?

While the new term may carry a pleasant frisson of nostalgic déjà vu, or a sense of Groundhog Day, it’s a rare and valuable opportunity to teach kids about eye care and impart a few lessons to parents.

September has always been a great time to remind parents they need to put a trip to the optician on their back to school checklist. But practices may need to sharpen their own pencils when it comes to messages for the modern mums, and occasionally dads, who heed the call.