‘No small eyeglasses’: primary school in remote China achieves zero myopia among 500-plus students, credits a lot of time outdoors and green plants

The fact that no students have myopia is remarkable, considering over 80 per cent of older teenagers are shortsighted in China

The principal credits policies that require three hours a day spent outdoors and banning mobile devices at the school

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A school in China said outdoor activities and a ban on mobile devices helped reduce myopia rates. Photo: SCMP composite

Published: 6:00pm, 11 Sep 2022

One persistent problem China has grappled with for years is the growing prevalence of myopia in the student population and the rate for school graduates tops 80 per cent.

That makes it all the more remarkable that a primary school in Yunnan province in southwest China reported that none of its students had shortsightedness, according to state-run Xinhua.

Sun Fubiao, the principal of Wantang Primary School, who wears glasses himself, was quoted as saying: “I often tell students it is not convenient to wear glasses. I show them unflattering pictures and also let them experience how it feels when wearing glasses.

“I always believe that protecting students’ eyesight is the best gift from us ‘glasses teachers’.”

The school in Yunnan forces children to go outside in between every class. Photo: The Cover

Sun said he focuses on letting the students outside for at least three hours every day, a stark contrast to typical schools in mainland cities where young students are often not allowed to go outdoors during class breaks.