The project aims to solve vision problems so that children can access good vision quality by screening children’s vision and getting free glasses according to their rights. The research report of the National Health Security Office found that the number of people who access vision rights is very tiny because they are not aware of their rights. In addition, it also emphasizes the importance of vision health problems for Thai children aged 3-12 years who are in the learning age. If children face vision health problems, it will be an obstacle to learning. If children do not take care of their vision health properly, it will have long-term effects.
Provinces with “strong local communities” are the focus of the I SEE THE FUTURE initiative. Before the project’s nationwide expansion, Samut Songkhram was not the only pilot province—Surin and Pattani were also included.
The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) collaborates with regional partners to extend initiatives nationwide.
On January 8, 2024, at the multipurpose field of Thesaban 2 School, Wat Kasem Sana Ram (Wong Prachanukroh), the campaign ‘I SEE THE FUTURE: For a clear and possible future for every child’ got underway. Network partners and schools in Samut Songkhram Province took part in free eye exams conducted by qualified optometrists.
The governor of Samut Songkhram Province, Mr. Sirisak Sirimangkala, made an opening speech that covered a wide range of topics related to health and education. He stated, “Locals need to play an important role in pushing and supporting schools to take care of and care for our youth and children’s eyesight.” To ensure that children have a healthy vision for a bright future, he was also delighted that the Equitable Education Fund and NHSO had selected Samut Songkhram Province, specifically Samut Songkhram Municipality and Amphawa Subdistrict Municipality, as pilot areas for this project to reduce inequality in access to vision welfare rights.
In a video narrating the significance of children’s vision health and learning, Dr. Jadet Thammathataree, Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), stated: “One of the most significant issues in vision health that impacts children’s educational opportunities and learning quality is vision impairment. If it cannot be fixed, children will face a barrier that prevents them from developing to their maximum potential in their learning and may lead to dropping out of school.
“The NHSO observes that children continue to face financial hardships and disadvantages, particularly vulnerable populations that continue to lack access to healthcare services. To ensure that underprivileged children and youth have access to services, the NHSO and Equitable Education Fund are pushing this project to effectively support benefits and services for eyesight health. We are engaging with local administrative entities to take a more aggressive approach because the report revealed that relatively few people have access to this entitlement.
The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) is another important organization spearheading this endeavor. “Samut Songkhram Province is a small province with a small population, but the local areas of Samut Songkhram Province are strong,” said Dr. Kraiyos Patrawart, Manager of the Equitable Education Fund (EEF). Samut Songkhram was thus selected by NHSO and Equitable Education Fund as the “pilot province” for the I SEE THE FUTURE initiative. Strong schools contribute to its highly effective local mechanisms.
“After reading the NHSO report on the very restricted availability of free eye exams and spectacles, the working group concentrated on developing innovative approaches of managing prototype areas in areas with robust local organizations. Effective screening and distribution of these welfare payments will ensure that young people don’t lose out on chances. Children will receive treatment during the most crucial time in their lives when they are checked and awarded these welfare benefits for spectacles. The phrase “the window of opportunity for vision opens and closes very quickly” is used by ophthalmologists and optometrists. The window of chance will close for youngsters with vision impairments between the ages of 8 and 10 if they do not obtain therapy.
Dr. Kraiyos also emphasized the approach to creating educational opportunities for all (education for all), which requires cooperation from all parties for education (all for education).
“The collaboration between provincial and local officials, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and schools is evident today. All of this will assist us in achieving our objectives of ensuring educational opportunities and universal health coverage.”
Regarding optometrists, Mr. Sirichai Kumho, the representative for the Optometry Association of Thailand, underlined the significance of vision for education, stating, “The association discovered earlier that children with visual issues had more learning difficulties than typical children. Children who exhibit certain behaviors—such as not being mischievous, not climbing, sticking to parents or instructors, and blinking frequently—may have abnormal vision, and families and schools should work together to identify these signs. Teachers and parents must watch their kids together. It is imperative to get screened as soon as possible if a child is determined to have a visual impairment.
Apart from the significance of children’s vision and education, local agencies play a crucial role in endorsing this local effort to serve as a template model. “Although Samut Songkhram Municipality is small and its public health operations are efficient, the municipality still intends to take care of preventive health, especially children’s vision problems,” stated Mr. Arun Kaew-on, Director of the Public Health and Environment Division of Samut Songkhram Municipality. It will impact children’s and youth’s learning and development if we ignore it and do nothing about it.
“The I SEE THE FUTURE Vision Screening Innovation Design Project supports the objective of the municipality by offering comprehensive information on eye health that will aid in the development of a community health plan, as well as screening services conducted by professionals and knowledge sharing on behavior observation. The project’s output will serve as a local model for improving public health.
The Deputy Mayor of Amphawa Municipality, Mr. Wirat Nilsri, expressed gratitude to all those involved in this project for designating Amphawa Municipality as the “Amphawa Model.”
“Children who maintain excellent physical health, which includes strong eye health, will have a bright future. Children who have good vision will be able to learn and will have a bright future.
Another indispensable network is the Education Network and Educational Inequality Reduction, which works proactively in the area to share the situation of vulnerable children who are prone to vision problems. Mr. Chitsanuwat Maneesri Kham, Area Education Management Partner of Samut Songkhram, reported the situation that “The I SEE THE FUTURE project is part of the area education management of Samut Songkhram Province to drive the reduction of educational inequality, especially for vulnerable children and special needs children, who are quite a large number in our province. This makes us want to drive the project together with other partners. From screening vision in schools in Amphawa Municipality, only one area We also found that there were at least two children with vision problems per classroom of 25-30 students, so we had to further collaborate with ophthalmologists and optometrists to ensure timely treatment.”
Following the opening ceremony to highlight the issue and introduce the local I SEE THE FUTURE project, children with vision problems shared their experiences, as well as children’s future visions, and teachers reflected on the issues with their students’ vision in the forum. Because children need to use their eyes to study and because they must use technology in the classroom, the instructors were given new, in-depth knowledge about vision and requested to participate in the process of observing students during class to facilitate prompt vision screening for treatment.
A female student in grade 5 at Wat Kasem Sana Ram’s Thesaban 2 School claimed that her inability to see the classroom board caused her to start experiencing visual issues. The image seemed fuzzy to her even after she moved to sit in front of the board. She was able to see better than previously after being examined and getting glasses.
Due to visual impairments, Samut Songkhram Technical College students had to take images of the board with their phones to see the messages and contents. Additionally, because they could not see their dancing movements well in the mirror, they were unable to do their favorite pastimes, like cover dancing, well. Despite having their eyes examined, they were unable to get glasses since the cost was prohibitive, despite their aspirations of becoming dancers.
Owing to the significance of eyesight in education, the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), NHSO, Samut Songkhram Province, network partners, and local administrative organizations provided free glasses according to the rights that these children should receive, as well as a Children’s Day gift in 2024. Nine people in the first group received free glasses, with the youngest child being a student in kindergarten 2.
As Children’s Day gifts, the group also distributed free ice cream, dolls, notebooks, and school materials. The youngsters that attended the event today showed a lot of interest in the coloring page dedicated to ‘youngsters’s Dream Careers’ and the cosplay photo shoot in which they posed for pictures.
