Ahead of the next Victorian state election, Optometry Australia’s Isaac Curkpatrick explains why a universal pre-school vision screening program should be a policy priority.
Many children with vision problems do not tell an adult they cannot see clearly. They adapt, compensate, or simply assume that everyone sees the world the way they do. As eye care professionals, we know how profoundly vision shapes a child’s ability to learn, participate, develop confidence, and engage with the world around them.
That is why early detection matters so much.
In Victoria, eye health stakeholders have been advocating for a universal pre-school vision screening program for four-year-old children. The proposal is simple: offer every child a vision screening at kindergarten or pre-prep, and where a potential issue is identified, ensure there is a clear referral pathway and follow-up.
This is not about replacing comprehensive eye examinations. It is about creating an equitable safety net so that children with undiagnosed conditions – such as amblyopia, strabismus, and refractive error – are identified early enough to receive timely care.
No child should begin school at a disadvantage because a treatable vision problem went unnoticed.
Why Universal Screening Matters
Victoria already has valuable initiatives that support children’s eye health, including the Melbourne Initial Screening Test through Maternal and Child Health services, the Visiting Primary School Nursing Program, and the Glasses for Kids program. These programs play an important role and should be recognised.
However, they do not yet constitute a complete, universal vision-screening pathway. Victoria still lacks a consistent system that reaches children before they start school, embeds referral and follow-up, and ensures families are connected with timely care when a possible vision problem is identified. This leaves too much to chance.
Additionally, a significant number of children do not attend their 3.5-year-old Maternal and Child Health visit, where the Melbourne Initial Screening Test is offered. A child may not attend a school covered by a targeted program. Teachers and parents may not notice that a child is struggling with their vision.
Universal screening in early learning settings helps reduce these gaps. Kindergartens and pre-prep environments are familiar, accessible, and well placed to reach families across metropolitan, regional, rural, and disadvantaged communities. A well-designed program would also recognise that screening is only the first step. The follow-up pathway is just as important.
A Timely Policy Opportunity
With the next Victorian state election scheduled for 28 November this year, there is a clear opportunity to ensure children’s vision remains firmly on the policy agenda.
While the absence of funding for universal pre-school vision screening in the most recent Victorian Budget was disappointing, the broader issue remains clear: Victoria needs a consistent, connected pathway that identifies children before they start school and ensures they are supported through to care.
That being said, there is an opportunity leading up to the State election for all sides of politics to commit to a practical reform that supports school readiness, child development, and long-term eye health.
Other jurisdictions have shown that structured early childhood vision screening can be delivered in practice. Victoria has the clinical expertise, community-based eye care workforce, and early childhood reform agenda needed to build a strong model of its own.
Importantly, this is not a call from optometry alone; it is supported across the eye health sector, including ophthalmology, orthoptics, academia, and children’s health services.
The Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms, including Free Kinder and Pre-Prep, are built on the principle that a child’s early years matter. Vision should be part of that conversation. A child’s vision is not an isolated health issue; it is fundamental to their learning, communication, confidence, participation, and capacity to thrive.
In this context, universal screening is a practical reform that would help identify children earlier, connect families with care before school begins, and ensure eye health is embedded in the broader systems that support a child’s learning, development, and wellbeing.
Optometry’s Role in a Connected Pathway
Optometrists are well-positioned to support early intervention as part of a connected eye care pathway. We are highly trained, geographically distributed, and embedded in local communities. For many families, optometry will be the most accessible point of care for comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, prescribing, management, monitoring, and follow-up. A universal pre-school screening program would work best when it is connected to community-based care.
As a profession, we also understand the importance of reassuring parents, communicating with children, collaborating with other health professionals, and ensuring children receive follow-up care.
This advocacy is therefore not just about creating another screening program. It is about building a coordinated pathway that identifies children early, connects them to care, and supports them through their critical years.
With the opportunity to catch up to other jurisdictions, such as NSW’s StEPS program for four-year-old children and Queensland’s Prep vision screening model, Victoria can implement a pre-school pathway that is practical, equitable, and connected to the broader health and education systems. Optometry Australia will continue working with government, optometrists, and eye health stakeholders to keep children’s vision on the agenda.
No child should begin school at a disadvantage because a treatable vision problem went unnoticed.
Isaac Curkpatrick is the State Lead (Victoria) at Optometry Australia. He practises optometry at Lewis and McConnell Optometrists in Mt Waverley, Victoria.
