- Around 200 Bokgoni Secondary School learners received free eye screenings on the first day of the initiative.
- Learners identified with vision problems will receive corrective spectacles at no cost.
- The programme will expand to three more Gauteng schools through the Gautrain Management Agency’s Social Investment Programme.
Approximately 200 learners at Bokgoni Secondary School in Atteridgeville received free eye screenings on the first day of a two-day initiative aimed at improving learning by identifying and treating vision problems.
The programme, running from 27 to 28 August 2026, provides learners with free eye screenings, referrals for further assessment where necessary and corrective spectacles at no cost. More learners are expected to benefit on the second day of the intervention.
The initiative is being delivered through the Gautrain Management Agency’s Social Investment Programme in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and the African Eye Institute. Qualified optometrists are conducting screenings at the school using specialised diagnostic equipment, ensuring learners can access professional eye care without leaving their learning environment.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said clear vision is essential for equal access to education. “We recognise that access to quality education is closely linked to the wellbeing of our learners. A learner who cannot see clearly is at an immediate disadvantage in the classroom.
“Through this partnership, we are taking eye health services directly to schools and ensuring that learners who require corrective eyewear are not held back by a challenge that can be addressed,” she said.
Diale-Tlabela said expanding the programme to four schools was an investment in learners’ health, confidence and academic potential.
First phase of a wider Gauteng rollout
Bokgoni Secondary School is the first of four schools across Gauteng that will receive eye screenings, referrals and corrective eyewear through the programme. Three additional schools will be identified in the next phase.
African Eye Institute chairman Professor Percy Mashige said early identification of visual difficulties could significantly improve educational outcomes.
“Our experience has consistently demonstrated that the early identification and appropriate management of visual difficulties, including the provision of spectacles where required, can have a profound impact on a learner’s ability to engage effectively in the classroom, participate fully in learning activities, and achieve their academic potential,” he said.
Mashige said the partnership would help reach learners whose vision problems might otherwise remain undetected and unaddressed.
Undiagnosed eyesight problems can affect reading, concentration, classroom participation and overall academic performance. By bringing eye care directly into schools, the programme aims to remove avoidable barriers before they negatively affect learners’ education.
The school-based initiative builds on the Gautrain Management Agency’s community eye health programme launched at Gautrain Marlboro Station during World Sight Month in 2025. That intervention screened 1 289 members of the Alexandra community and highlighted the demand for accessible eye care services.
The expansion into schools marks the next phase of the partnership and forms part of the Gautrain Management Agency’s Community Care social investment priorities.
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