At 96, Karthyayini Amma Clears Her Life's First Examination

There is no age to learn! This has been proved right by Karthyayini Amma of Alappuzha, Kerala. Amma cleared her life’s first examination at the age of ninety-six, under the Kerala Government’s literacy scheme, in which she had enrolled herself.

The State Department of Education's  Kerala State Literacy Mission was set up in 1998. Under the mission’s  ‘Aksharalaksham’ scheme nearly 45,000 senior citizens took up the examination this year.

Amma emerged as a confident student

Amma has mesmerised everyone by scoring thirty marks out of thirty. The scheduled examination had three sections for the students namely reading, writing Malayalam and maths. Her sathi, mentor in education, said, “Karthyayini Amma was unhappy that the question paper did not ask everything she studied. She feels she studied too much for no reason.”

“Karthyayini Amma was unhappy that the question paper did not ask everything she studied. She feels she studied too much for no reason.”

Appreciation for Amma

The Vice President of India, Mr Venkaiah Naidu himself reached out to the people on Twitter and acknowledged the daring step taken by a woman at such an age.

Happy to learn that 96 year old Shri Karthiyani Amma is appearing for Sakshar examination conducted by Kerala state Sakshar mission. She is setting a great example. Education leads to empowerment . Wish all unlettered elders follow her example. #education #empowerment

— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) August 6, 2018

The exam she has qualified is equivalent to the fourth standard. Amma has proven people wrong who consider that certain tasks are impossible for old people. Kudos to the inner strength and ardent desire to learn.

Literacy rate in Kerala

Kerala has always been on the first position in terms of literacy. Statistics showcase this state with a 93.91% rate of literacy. As per National Census in 2011, there were almost eighteen lakhs of illiterates in Kerala. But after the results concluded by the survey of Aksharlaksham, there has been a significant increase in the rate of literacy.

Many people believe St. Kuriakose Chavara started an institution for Sanskrit which was open to people belonging  to any caste, colour, or creed. His efforts to provide compulsory education is instrumental in spreading this awareness about literacy.

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Dolly Bhardwaj is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv

Picture Credit: MensXP.com