Education is not just a step to be successful in life but also a desire to learn and a way to outshine your capabilities.
Karthyayani Amma has proved that education is not only for scholars but also for a person with desires.
At an age of 96, Kerela’s great granny, Karthyayani Amma had secured 98 per cent marks in a literacy exam.
Recently she has got a laptop from the government as a gift for the same.
The process of becoming Kerala’s great granny started when she expressed her desire to learn computers.
In a flagship initiative of the state -run Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority, ‘Aksharalaksham’ programme, Amma was the oldest candidate and top scorer with 98 marks out of 100.
The State Education Minister, C Raveendranath handed over a new laptop to Amma as a gesture of appreciation for the achievement after visiting her at her home in coastal Cheppad village of Alapuzha district.
Amma welcomed the Minister, clad in a traditional Kerala saree and her trademark innocent smile.
The Minister himself was is a retired college professor.
When asked whether she wanted to learn computer without taking any of her time she quickly replied “ Surely I will, if I get one.”
The minister soon gave her the “surprise gift” of the government: A laptop, to her surprise.
He also took some time to initiate the nonagenarian into the world of computers by the helping her to press the keys.
According to the family members, the minister extended full support to further studies of the ‘oldest’ student “Amma”of the state, before leaving.
Proving that some people may be physically old, but mentally young, Amma had scored 38 marks out of 40 in writing, and full marks of 30 each in mathematics and reading in the three-module literacy exam.
From Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the proud nonagenarian had also received an ‘Aksharalaksham’ certificate.
Karthyayani Amma is a mother of six children of whom only two are alive, a grandmother to six grandchildren and great-grandmother of seven great grandchildren.
She said that she wanted to complete her studies at least up to Class 10 and even learn computers.
She has got direct entry in the 4th standard of the equivalency course of Literacy Mission, after having cleared the Aksharalakhsham exam.
The Mission officials has said that once Amma has cleared the six- month class 4 course, she can straight away join class 7 equivalency programme and subsequently the class 10 course.
The world of education would have been so better if the aspirants like Amma could fulfill their desire and aim high in life.
This story proves that there is no particular age for education.
There are some things you can’t learn your whole life and there are many you learn at every point of life.
Education is learning at every step.