school01

What’s this strange contraption? Perhaps a headrest, or some kind of anti-cheating device? Maybe it’s something for the kids to hold on to when English grammar classes get too exciting to bear!?

Actually, this classroom has been fitted with these specially-designed desks as a measure of preserving their kids’ precious eyesight.

An elementary school in Wuhan City, China has introduced these special desks into their first-grade class. According to the headmaster of the school, the desks were provided by a local centre advocating preventative care for eyesight deterioration amongst young people. Kudos to them for actively promoting healthcare within the community!

As you can see, the desks themselves have a bar across the front which promotes correct posture when working. Children can’t hunch over their books, and they are encouraged to remain an appropriate distance away from whatever they are writing. The bar can also be pushed back to be used as a prop for the students’ books so they keep them a set distance away when reading. This design will supposedly help prevent the development of shortsightedness, or myopia, which has been linked to focusing on things too near-at-hand for significant lengths of time.

But surely having a massive bar in front of your face would be just a little bit distracting? And roughly how many teeth would a kid have to chip before they remember that there’s a huge piece of steel a few inches away from their face where there was once thin air? Perhaps we’re missing something here…

So what do you think – is this a good idea? Does one size (or distance) really fit all? And how long will the little darlings put up with it for?

▼ I see that girl crouching down under her bar! Kids will always find a way ’round things!

school02

▼ She doesn’t seem too impressed.

school03

▼ Eyes down, kids! Get to work!

school04

Source/images: Toychan Net