They could not see each other, but just a mention of each other’s names was enough for them to exclaim in delight.
Former students of the Government School for Visually Impaired, Vazhuthacaud, got a unique opportunity to reminisce about their shared roots together, at the school’s first-ever alumni meet on Saturday.
From R. Raghunathan Nair, who passed out from the school in 1979 and became its headmaster later on, to Akshara, who passed out in 2015, over 80 former students turned up to meet their old friends. The meet was organised to mark the 60th anniversary of the school’s establishment in 1957. The school itself has undergone a sea change since the time they were students, Chandrika, of the 1976 batch, told The Hindu . The new buildings were much better than the old ones, for instance.
The current students also have it much easier, with Braille textbooks and computers helping them learn, she said. “Back in our days, we used to ask others to read out textbooks loud for us, while we took down notes to study later.”
Nonetheless, the school played a crucial role in shaping their lives, according to the alumni. By teaching them subjects such as science and mathematics by special techniques that helped them grasp the concepts well and through teaching them to interact with those who are not visually impaired, it prepared them to face the rest of the world on equal terms.
For example, Akshara, now pursuing BA Malayalam at Government Women’s College, said people often did not believe that she was visually impaired since she was taught how to identify the location of the eyes of others and thereby maintain eye contact while speaking.
Above all, the school gave them a sense of belonging at a young age when they had felt alienated from society, thus helping them grow into strong individuals, said Chandrika.
Most of the alumni are employed, with many teachers, singers and entrepreneurs among them. Hassan Rawther, one of the earliest headmasters of the school, inaugurated the function.
