Monday 3 February 2025

Victorian students will benefit from free vision screening and glasses as part of the Allan Labor Government’s boost for the popular Glasses for Kids program.

Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the $6.8 million boost in the Victorian Budget 2024/25 triples the capacity of the program and is one of many ways the Government is helping busy families in Northern Victoria with cost-of-living pressures.

The vision tests and glasses are being delivered to 44 schools in Northern Victoria by State Schools’ Relief, a Victorian not-for-profit organisation that manages and delivers the Labor Government’s Glasses for Kids program.

These schools are:

• Werrimull P-12 School
• Ouyen P-12 College
• Nichols Point Primary School
• Irymple South Primary School
• Cardross Primary School
• Koorlong Primary School
• The Lake Primary School
• Underbool Primary School
• Beverford District Primary School
• Woorinen District Primary School
• Nyah District Primary School
• Boort District P-12 School
• Pyramid Hill College
• Gunbower Primary School
• Rochester Primary School
• Lockington Consolidated School
• Tongala Primary School
• Nanneella Estate Primary School
• Lancaster Primary School
• Echuca Twin Rivers Primary School
• Echuca East Primary School
• Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School
• Middle Indigo Primary School
• Barnawartha Primary School
• Baranduda Primary School
• Wooragee primary school
• Wahgunyah Primary School
• Talgarno Primar y School
• Corryong College
• Tallangatta Primary School
• Chiltern Primary School
• Colbinabbin Primary School
• Girgarre Primary School
• Wangaratta West Primary School
• Myrtleford P-12 College
• Mohyu Primary School
• Carraragarmungee Primary School
• Springhurst Primary School
• Appin Park Primary School
• Wangaratta Primary School
• Dederang Primary School
• Oxley Primary School 

The Glasses for Kids program was expanded to support more Prep to Year 3 students with free onsite vision screening and testing and, if needed, free glasses.

The Glasses for Kids program has been expanded to an additional 473 eligible schools, making the program available to an additional 74,000 Prep to Year 3 students through to 2027.

The Glasses for Kids program is offered to students at Victorian government schools identified with high and medium levels of disadvantage, based on the school’s Student Family Occupation and Education (SFOE) Index.

The Victorian Budget 2024/25 provides further cost-of-living relief to families with a once-off $400 School Saving Bonus, as well as through expanded access to the School Breakfast Clubs Program to every government school to opt in for the first time.

Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes

“I’m delighted that students across the region will benefit from this program, which saves families money and helps students to learn and thrive.”

“Too many kids fall behind in school because of undiagnosed and treatable vision problems and that’s why we’re expanding the Glasses for Kids program.”

“Programs like the School Saving Bonus, School Breakfast Clubs, Glasses for Kids and the Affordable School Uniforms program sit at the heart of our plan to ease cost-of-living pressures for families right across the state.”