Hailing from a poor family with no financial support for her education, Janitha Mary from Nagur of Nagapattinam district has scored the highest marks ranking first among visually challenged students who took the SSLC examination in Puducherry this year. She has secured third rank among the visually challenged in Tamil Nadu.
Janitha’s father is dead and there is no one to support her education. She lives with her mother and elder sister. “I joined a government school where I did not have to pay fees,” she said.
She wants to go for more studies
Having completed her SSLC from Ananda Ranga Pillai Government Special School for Visually Handicapped and Hearing Impaired with 468 marks, she wants to pursue her education where opportunities are available. “I am still finding out where I can pursue my higher education. There is a school for visually challenged in Chennai. Teachers supported me which helped me score good marks. I want to study further and want to become an IAS officer,” said a confident Janitha.
She secured centum in social sciences, 98 in mathematics, 90 in Tamil, 84 in English and 91 in science.
Visually challenged Shiva of Ananda Ranga Pillai Government Special School came second with 404 marks. “I want to become a teacher in a special school,” he said. His mother works as an agricultural labourer. Shiva’s elder brother is a JCB operator while his younger brother is a mechanic.
Partially sighted A. Flavia, who could see only up to 3 feet, cleared the SSLC examination with flying colours. Studying in Bridges Learning Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, she secured 421 marks. Passionate to study fashion designing, Flavia became emotional when she got to know her marks. Her mother Mary, a technical officer at Vector Control Research Centre, said she was worried whether her daughter would be able to face the public examination.
“I was even reluctant to allow her to write the examination considering her health. But, her hard work has paid off well,” Ms. Mary said. A dyslexic child, Mohammed Rasivh Fareed of Bridges Learning Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School also cleared the SSLC examination.
