Many parents have difficulty understanding why the Government has allocated money to have nurses placed in schools while they are reducing teacher numbers.
I can see the benefit in catching eyesight and hearing issues early on in a child’s life. But if my memory serves me correctly, parents are registered with a Child and Family Health Nurse soon after the birth of each child and these nurses do regular checks right up until age 3 ½ years.
I can remember my first daughter reading the eye chart soon after she had learnt to read the alphabet.
It was a particularly proud moment.
I also remember as my children went through early primary that a nurse came and did some eyesight and hearing checks.
This is not a new initiative, it is a program designed to replace the hearing and vision checks that were phased out by the Labor Government. These checks were to be replaced by a ‘Healthy Kids Check’ for all children provided through Child Health.
The surprise is not that this Government is putting the school health checks back in place but that they have moved the Nurses into the Education Department and are doing so at the cost of teaching staff!
Will, I am glad the nurses will be doing hearing and eyesight tests.
Can you, Jeremy and Peter make a booking?
You seem to have some hearing issues as you are not listening to the voices of Tasmanian parents who are seriously worried about the education their children will get during your term of government.
I will be protesting at the Macquarie Street End of the Southern Outlet every school day between 8 and 8.45am
Teresa O’Leary, South Hobart Primary and Taroona High parent
