Students in the electorates of Werribee and Tarneit will receive free eye testing and glasses at school in a Victorian-first. The Andrews Labor Government today launched the Glasses for Kids program.

More than 30,000 Prep to Year 3 students at 250 schools most in need will have their eyes tested and receive free glasses under the program.

Children with undiagnosed vision problems often find it hard to concentrate at school, leading to poor results and bad behaviour – yet many struggling families avoid eye testing because of the cost.

Glasses for Kids has been trialled in 24 schools across Gippsland and Melbourne, and will now be rolled out in a further 226 schools around the state.

Eligible schools include:

• Iramoo Primary School
• Manorvale Primary School
• Warringa Park School
• Westgrove Primary School
• Wyndham Park Primary School
• Mossfiel Primary School
• The Grange P-12 College

The Labor Government has also partnered with Melbourne University to deliver Glasses for Kids, with supervised final-year optometry students to carry out vision testing at 160 schools.

Providing Glasses for Kids is about putting Victorian students and their families first to make sure every child has access to a great school and the opportunity to succeed in life. That’s why we are also:

• Giving 25,000 children a free breakfast at School Breakfast Clubs in 500 primary schools most in need, so kids can concentrate, learn and reach their full potential
• Giving more than 70,000 Victorian students regular access to the healthcare they need at school, with 100 schools across the state taking part in Australia’s first Doctors in Secondary Schools Program
• Helping 180,000 Victorian students take part in school camps and excursions, with $63.8 million already provided under the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
• Giving 50,000 Victorian families more than 210,000 school uniform items under the Affordable School Uniforms Program over the past two years

Quotes attributable to Member for Werribee, Tim Pallas

“We are making sure that students get the most out of school and achieve their full potential, whether it’s free eye testing and glasses for kids, making sure they have a full stomach, and access to a GP at school – we’re putting Werribee’s students and families first.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Tarneit, Telmo Languiller

“We are putting people first with free eye testing and glasses for kids at the Tarneit electorate’s schools most in need so that every child has the opportunity to thrive in the classroom.”