Today, Tech Mahindra Foundation (TMF), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Tech Mahindra, hosted the fifth edition of Saajhi Samajh on ‘Evolving Role of Teachers in Eye Health at Schools’. On the occasion of the World Sight Day on 14th October 2021, this event marks the release of a research report and a panel discussion with experts on this year’s theme.

The event session was well-attended by hundreds of school teachers, educators, and young students to understand the significance of eye health right from primary school. 

Speaking about the initiative, Rakesh Soni, CEO, Tech Mahindra Foundation said “Blindness and visual impairment is preventable if detected at early stages. Therefore, improving eye health awareness in schools, especially amongst teachers, is a potential solution to identify early stages of vision ailments amongst school children. With that view, teachers can play a great role if equipped with appropriate eye healthcare knowledge and awareness.”

The event also marked the release of a research report titled- ‘Teacher’s Perspective, Awareness and Understanding of Student’s Eye Health’, by Dr Umang Mathur, Executive Director, Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, New Delhi. The report is based on extensive research conducted by the Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit of the Tech Mahindra Foundation across government school teachers in Delhi. According to the respondents, the research highlights that, ‘too much screen time’ is rated as the highest contributing factor towards the eye health issues in children, and the lowest-rated factor is hereditary or genetics. The report also highlights how teachers can be the catalysts and play an important role in the eye health of children. 

Addressing the evolving role of teachers in creating awareness about Eye Health in schools, the panel discussion was undertaken by prominent field experts including Dr Rishi Raj Borah, Country Director, Orbis India, Dr Amruta Tripathi, Consultant Ophthalmologist, The Heart and Eye Clinic, Mumbai and Ms Preeti Monga, Founder CEO & Trustee, Silver Linings Trust along with Ms Lalita Maurya, Leader of Mentor Teachers of Hindi Group from an NDMC government school. Know more about the event here.

About Tech Mahindra Foundation 

Tech Mahindra Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of Tech Mahindra Limited, a Mahindra Group Company. Founded in the year 2007, as a Section 25 Company (referred to as a Section 8 Company in the Companies Act, 2013), it has been extensively working in the areas of education, employability, and disability, with a keen focus on corporate volunteering. We are committed to creating happier and safer classrooms by empowering teachers, educators, and leaders in knowledge, skills, and attitude domains aiming for effective school governance. 

Shikshaantar, one of our flagship programs in Education, facilitates the capacity building of school teachers and educators in pedagogical skills and subject-related competencies, and has trained over 36,700 teachers of government schools across major cities in India. In alignment with the Shikshaantar program, ‘Saajhi Samajh (or Shared Understanding)', is the Foundation’s attempt towards creating a broader platform to enable advocacy through discourse and discussion on issues related and relevant to the development of teacher training and education in India. Till now, we have hosted four seminars with a focus on teacher development and various relevant topic, bringing together an array of experts and specialists.