A school in China has introduced a controversial policy of excluding children with visual acuity of below -5.00D from its awards list.
The deputy headmaster of Hangzhou Sandun Primary School said that this decision is to educate both students and parents and raise awareness of myopia.
The school has since received backlash because of the rule, with some parents blaming ‘rigorous academic pressure’ from teachers that results in their children’s poor eyesight.
One parent claimed that there should be less homework assignments, as their child has to spend four hours every day on homework and cannot maintain good eyesight because of this.
An official from the Xihu District Education Bureau said: ‘I think [maintaining good eyesight] is important for children’s comprehensive development, as well as their physical and mental health. The school is paying attention to the importance of students’ vision, and it’s also hoping to make parents aware of the issue.’