Age no barrier: Kerala Septuagenarians pursue academic dreams with equivalency exams

Source: The New Indian Express
Author: Anu Kuruvilla

KOCHI : Lost out on a chance to realise your dream? Then there is no time like the present, say septuagenarians Narayanan T C from Kozhikode and Rugmini T O from Kannur as they prepare for the Plus One and SSLC equivalency examinations conducted by the Kerala State Literacy Mission.

For Narayanan, a retired physical education teacher, the exam is his chance to achieve a long-cherished dream. "The lawyer's black cloak has fascinated me for long. However, I couldn't realise my dream for various reasons," says Narayanan, who couldn't clear the pre-degree course as he was busy with sports and NCC.

"I missed classes as I took part in sports events at the state and national levels. Then there were the NCC camps. I had taken part in the Republic Day parade and was adjudged the best cadet," recounts the 75-year-old. He is now pursuing the Plus One course under the mission's equivalency scheme.

Narayanan is confident of achieving his dream of becoming a lawyer despite his age. "People in my family have remained on the crease beyond 95," says Narayanan who wants to appear for the Kerala Law Entrance Examination (KLEE) and join the five-year LLB course. "I want to appear in court as a lawyer at least once. I have some experience working as a clerk in a lawyer's office," says Narayanan, who attends Plus One classes during the weekends in the same school where he used to teach.

If Narayanan wants to become a lawyer, Rugmini, 76, wants to clear, or rather ace, the SSLC exam. A poetess who has published a 100-page book comprising 59 poems, Rugmini hails from an agrarian family. "Since that was the norm back then, I was married off as soon as I passed out of Class 8," says Rugmini. It marked the end of her academic journey.