With her eyes feeling increasingly tired and unclear, 16-year-old Sun Run went to the hospital with her parents in January. She was shocked when she found out that her eyesight was from 5. 0 to 4. 6 in only a term. "A few of my friends have had the same experience lately," Sun said.
In fact, poor eyesight among Chinese primary and high school students rose from 59. 2 percent to 70. 6 percent in the first six months of 2020 because of online classes.
To protect students' eyesight, the Chinese government has worked out new requirements for school supplies (供应) and equipment (设备) that will work on March 1, 2022.
According to the requirements, the size of text in students' textbooks should be no smaller than nine-point. Teachers should also avoid using multimedia (多媒体) equipment like screens that are too bright. There are also requirements for desk and classroom lights. For example, these lights should give off as little blue light as possible. Blue light is bad for our eyes, but many of the electronic instruments we use every day, including our phones and computer screens, give off blue light.
Chinese government has also taken other steps to protect students' eyesight in China. In May 2021, the National Health Commission required schools to make sure that students have at least two hours of outdoor activity a day.
