A further case for the need of parents to take full responsibility for the health and welfare of their children will be highlighted next week.

The Royal National Institution of the Blind will report that one in five children in the region could be struggling at school because of sight problems.

The report adds that the parents of these children are totally unaware their youngsters may have an issue with their sight.

One of the basic questions the report raises is how does a child know if they have a problem. They can't tell their parents they can't see if they don't realise they are unable to see properly.

It also seems many parents are under the impression that their children are already getting their eyes tested at school. Wrong! The RNIB report shows that eye tests are not routinely carried out in all schools - and where they are, provision ranges from patchy to high quality.

The RNIB is calling on the Government to introduce universal quality screening for all children at the age of five, seven, and eleven years. But it says in the meantime parents should ensure their children have their eyes tested regularly.

Kevin Baldwin from the Keighley and District Association for the Blind quite rightly takes the view that the responsibility should be on the parents and not the schools. He points out that 70 per cent of information children learn is visual.

There is merit in both scenarios. To have universal high-quality screening would no doubt require a substantial investment, and even with a fair wind implementation of that scheme is sadly a long way off.

While that debate continues - and at the risk of stating the obvious - there are opticians virtually on the doorstep of every family, who carry out tests.

For anyone blinkered to this crucial need, they should realise eye tests not only spot an eye problem but they can detect rare, more serious health conditions such as cancer.

It is no more or no less than neglect if families don't ensure their children have their eyes tested on a regular basis.