The Nationals’ Member for Euroa and Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Annabelle Cleeland, has called on the State Government to extend the Smile Squad dental program and the Glasses for Kids vision program to Catholic and independent schools in regional Victoria.
Ms Cleeland said health outcomes were already lagging behind in country areas, and the exclusion of many regional schools from these programs was widening the divide.
“Many of our region’s Catholic and independent schools are not elite Melbourne private schools. They are low-cost schools in towns like Heathcote, Rushworth, Benalla, Seymour, Nagambie, and Euroa, where large numbers of students are considered disadvantaged by the Department of Education’s own measures,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Yet these children are missing out on basic programs that deliver free dental and eye health support. That is not good enough.
“Every child deserves equal access to these essential services, no matter what school they attend or where they live.”
Ms Cleeland recently met with Optometry Australia CEO Skye Cappuccio and senior representatives to discuss the organisation’s Myopia Awareness Campaign and the importance of early intervention in children’s eye health.
Myopia, or short-sightedness, usually begins in childhood and can progress into adulthood. It increases the risk of serious conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment.
It is projected that by 2050, myopia will affect half the world’s population, including 20 million Australians.
“This meeting highlighted the critical need to improve access to early eye tests and ongoing vision support for children in regional Victoria,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Extending programs like Glasses for Kids and Smile Squad to all schools is a simple way to reduce the gap between regional and metropolitan health outcomes.
“These programs can change lives, and they should not stop at the school gate.”