School health checks cut over funding shortage

HEALTH checks on thousands of primary school children have been dramatically scaled back because of a shortage of funding.

Under the old system, junior and senior infants, and second- and sixth-class students were given a physical examination by a doctor. They also had their eyes and ears tested.

However, under the revised scheme, eye and ear tests are carried out on students only when they enter and leave the primary school system. Instead of a physical exam, parents are given a health questionnaire to fill out.