Primary and secondary school classroom lighting should be equipped with more than 9 fluorescent lamps of 40 watts

　　On January 8, a reporter learned from the Liaoning Provincial Youth Myopia Prevention and Control Base and the Shenhe District Primary and Secondary School Health Care Institute that the city has fully implemented the "Notice on the Three-Year Action Plan for Myopia Prevention and Control among Primary and Secondary School Students in Liaoning Province" (abbreviated as the "Notice"). Within three years starting from this year, primary and secondary schools will follow the national standards for teaching hygiene, improve teaching conditions, create a better visual environment for students, and leave no "blind spots".

　　Recently, the Shenhe District Primary and Secondary School Health Care Institute held a "Myopia Prevention Work Training Meeting," pointing out that myopia is currently the most prominent health issue for primary and secondary school students in China. According to authoritative statistics from the Liaoning Provincial Department of Education in 2010, the prevalence of myopia among primary and secondary school students in the province is: 35.85% for primary school students aged 7–12, 63.15% for junior high school students aged 13–15, and 73.45% for senior high school students aged 16–18.

　　Today's children are growing rapidly in height, with sixth-grade male and female students reaching over 1.7 meters tall. Desks and chairs with fixed heights can easily cause them to hunch over their desks for long periods, which may damage their eyesight if they are not careful. The "Notice" points out that each primary and secondary school classroom will be equipped with 1–3 types of desks and chairs. Schools equipped with adjustable desks and chairs should adjust the height of the desks and chairs in a timely manner according to changes in students' heights.

　　Liu Jie, Director of the Shenhe District Primary and Secondary School Health Care Institute, introduced that, in accordance with the requirements, schools should actively improve teaching conditions and create a good visual environment for students. They should ensure reasonable eye-use distances for all students in the classroom. The distance from the front edge of the front row of desks to the blackboard should be more than 2 meters, and the horizontal distance from the back edge of the back row of desks to the blackboard should not exceed 8 meters for primary schools and 8.5 meters for secondary schools. Desks and chairs matching students' heights should be provided, and 1–3 different types of desks and chairs should be pre-installed in each classroom, or adjustable desks and chairs should be provided. The blackboard should be intact without damage, without glare, have good marker-holding performance, and be easy to wipe. Classroom lighting should comply with the relevant national hygiene standards. Classroom lighting should be equipped with more than 9 fluorescent lamps of 40 watts, and the lamp tubes should be perpendicular to the blackboard. The hanging height of the lamps from the desktop should be 1.7–1.9 meters, etc.

　　"Another very important point is that teachers should integrate the cultivation of students' good eye-use hygiene habits throughout the entire classroom teaching, correct students' bad reading and writing postures at any time, and urge students to go outdoors or look into the distance during breaks," said Liu Jie.