Alappuzha's most famous granny has aced her exams again. At 96, Karthyayini Amma's academic progress has been closely followed in the state and outside. When she obtained a full score in her reading test in August this year, it wasn't just her family which celebrated. It was also the hundreds of people she has inspired with her never-too-late spirit.
And now, Karthyayini Amma has done it again. She has obtained a total score of 98 out of 100 in the recently conducted final exams. Karthyayini Amma was writing the 4th standard equivalency course under the Kerala Literacy Mission's Aksharalaksham scheme.
“We got the results 4 days ago and she was elated to hear that she got 98. She scored 30 on 30 in her reading test, 40 on 40 in Malayalam writing and 28 on 30 in Mathematics. She was expecting a 100 on 100. I feel she has lost 2 marks because she would have missed a step or two while solving the problems,” Sathi, Karthyayani Amma’s coordinator, told TNM.
Sathi and Karthyayani Amma are on their way to Thiruvananthapuram to collect her certificate from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The CM awards the oldest and youngest of students in the Literacy Course.
“This year, the oldest is Karthyayani Amma. The youngest student is from Thiruvananthapuram district but we heard that she scored lesser marks than Karthyayani,” Sathi added.
Karthyayini Amma is from Muttom in Cheppad village, Alappuzha. About an hour's drive from the town, Karthyayini Amma began her schooling in January 2018 when the gram panchayat's literacy mission brigade arrived at her home in Laksham Veedu Colony, a government housing scheme. But even before the literacy mission people came to her, Karthyayini Amma was interested in studying. Over two years ago, her 60-year-old daughter, Ammini Amma, passed the literacy mission's course, which is equivalent to Class 10 in the formal education system. Watching her daughter pack her bags and leave for school apparently inspired Karthyayini Amma, too, to pick up pen and paper.
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