Millions of Children Cannot Learn Because They Cannot See | Opinion
Summary
The article argues that uncorrected vision problems can keep children from learning, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It cites estimates of the scale and economic effects of the problem and describes school screenings, teacher training, community outreach, and affordable glasses as potential ways to address it.Key Facts
- UNESCO's 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report records 273 million children and young people out of school, with the figure rising for seven consecutive years.
- Research by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and Seva Foundation estimates that 17.8 million children aged 5 to 17 have uncorrected refractive errors.
- The same analysis estimates that uncorrected refractive errors among schoolchildren could lead to $173 billion in lost future productivity each year, measured in purchasing-power-parity terms.
- One modeled scenario estimates that a child given glasses at age five and wearing them until age 18 could earn 78 percent more over a lifetime than a child whose vision remains uncorrected.
- The article says children may not realize their vision is impaired, while parents may lack time or money to seek care and teachers may not know how to identify or refer students.
- The article describes school-based vision screening, teacher training, community outreach, and affordable glasses and follow-up care as possible measures.
- A 2026 UNESCO and World Bank study estimates benefit-cost ratios of 3.8 to 9.8 for school eye-health programs in Cambodia and Ghana.
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