Australian school makes sunglasses compulsory for pupils

[Richard]

SYDNEY (AFP) - There was a time when wearing sunglasses would have been seen as too cool for school, but for pupils at a pioneering primary in Australia they are now a compulsory part of the uniform.

The move is aimed at protecting young eyes from the sun's dangerous ultraviolet rays, and education authorities say they are considering adopting the plan at all state schools.

The headmaster of Sydney's Arncliffe Public School, where sunglasses are now compulsory for children from kindergarten through Year 6, said they had no problems wearing the glasses in the playground.

The "sunnies" as they are called in Australia, would soon become "routine" for the pupils, Stephan Vrachas told commercial radio.

The education minister of New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, said the government would consider making sunglasses compulsory in all public school playgrounds.

"It is conceivable that in certain environments it might be appropriate to wear sunglasses when they are playing in the sun," John Della Bosca told reporters.

Excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, already blamed for skin cancers, can also lead to cataracts, experts say.

A specialist at Sydney Eye Hospital told the national AAP news agency that wraparound glasses were the best for eye protection and children should be encouraged to wear them from the age of three or four.

Sunglasses were particularly important in summer, when ultraviolet exposure was up to five times higher than in winter, said Con Petsoglou.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070731/hl_...WoQtsDW7oF

[Astrojewels]

I have not heard of this Richard, but I do not really see it working, how will the children play and run around with sunglasses on? They all wear wide brimmed hats which I think for children is enough protection.

[ShadowRunner]

the pupils need some sun, in moderation, as does the skin.

here in canada you should see the damn psyops in action 'wear sunscreen to prevent cancer, stay out of the sun, new sunsuits invented for children' in canada where we get 4 maybe 5 months of sun a damn year, you need to build up and store the vit - d in your body for the winter months, i soak it up like it's cream cheese on a tasty toasty bagel, i love it, worship the sun.  You have no idea have much i love the sun, and miss it like a lost love in the winter.

[Richard]

Karen, I guess it just depends on how dark the sun glasses are. It seems like kids should still be able to run around and play. The article says the kids have no problem.

[Astrojewels]

Shadowrunner,
I am with you, I am a sun seeker myself and truly can not get enough of it, at the moment it is winter, and I am always tired from not getting enough D, but it is true that there are many risks especially here in OZ, Richard I think they would have to wear those sports sunglasses that grip around your head, have you ever ran with your sunglasses on? They will fall off very quickly.

[Sily]

I can't wear sunglasses because they make me dizzy.  :puke: < - - - blah, I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it.

I love the "hats idea" in the hot sun, as long as the brim doesn't itch my forehead.  :doh:

I can be so picky about stuff sometimes.  :evil:

[Richard]

Karen, I see what you’re saying now. Yes, I agree they would need a style that stays on while running around.

[AndrewX]

My afore-mentioned friend Patrick who once taught sungazing seminars across the country reported to me that once in the early 1980s he was teaching such a 2-day seminar in the West.  At one point early in the first day, a man in the audience arose, identified himself as a medical doctor, and soundly assailed the seminar leader for recommending such a “dangerous” practice.  Before the seminar leader could respond, an elderly man in the audience arose, and identified himself as a veteran of the Korean war.  He had, he said, worn glasses for much of his life, and had been held as a POW by the Koreans for about 9 months near the end of the Koran war.  At some point early in his imprisonment, an apparently sadistic but curious medical doctor at the prison camp had selected 10 men – this man was one of the ten – and forced them to stare at the sun for 10 hours per day, including high noon, every single day.  If a prisoner resisted or looked away, or closed their eyes, guards would beat them, and the prisoner risked death.  While the former POW reported that it was decidedly unpleasant sitting and staring at the sun for 10 hours a day, almost non-stop, and that he and the other prisoners all developed massive headaches and neckaches at times, none apparently experienced any long-term negative effect upon their vision or their eyes. Further, each man who had previously worn glasses (the elderly ex-POW telling the tale was among them) shortly discovered that their vision had drastically improved and that they no longer needed to wear glasses.  The ex-POW relating the tale told the class that he had never since needed glasses, and that he was now in his seventies and his eyesight was still perfect.
After hearing the tale, the medical doctor who had been railing against the premise of the class sat down thoughtfully.  A few hours later, a relatively long sungazing session engaged in by the entire class yielded none of the much-feared specters of blindness or eye damage, much to the chagrin of the doctor who had spoken up.
Incidentally, I have had my eyes checked medically (I do not mean vision, which is fine; I mean examination of the actual retina) several times over the past years for any possible damage, and, other than the docs going rather psycho over my perfectly clean arteries and very thin clean blood (both visible via the eye), they have reported that my retina is fine. My eyes, macula and iris appear fine upon medical examination, with no holes and no burns.  My vision, at age 52, is very good, and is at least as good as it was when I was in my teens; I do not wear corrective lenses of any kind.  Indeed, my right eye has better than 20/20 vision.

http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/sungazing/ 

:)

[William]

  Well, I have at times stared into the sun.  I dont gaze for long periods but my eyes are fine.   Im not really sure what prompts me to sun gaze.   I just do it!  :)

  I remember being young ohhh about 8 years old and even after they told us not to look into the total eclipes of the sun I just had to look.  Im fine....... really I am!  ;)

[Sily]

Haha... I just noticed how perfect the title is of the article "Australian school makes sunglasses compulsory for pupils"

Pupils also meaning the pupils of the eye.