KOCHI: “Soon after completing SSLC, my parents got me married, around 15 years ago. They were illiterate and did not know the value of higher education. Now, I am a mother of three children. Once the children started to go to an English medium school, I realized how difficult it is to teach them even in their primary classes. So, I decided to study more,” says Jinsamol T P, a 38-year-old student of higher secondary equivalency course. Along with Jinsamol, her husband Shameer (43) will also be writing the exam.
Jinsamol and Shameer are among a group of middle aged couples who are together turning to equivalency courses to improve their level of learning. The higher secondary equivalent examination will be conducted on Monday by the Kerala State Literacy Mission and there are several such couples who will wish the very best each other and walk together to the examination halls.
Wilson (45) and Silja (38) of Puthenvelikkara and Muhammad Kunju and Muneera are among those couples who have managed to keep up with their studies while attending to the needs of their aged parents and children and even after a day’s work.The middle-aged students are often helped in their studies by their children.
“I could not write SSLC examination as I had to go to work to support my family. I had four younger sisters. Now that I have finished Class X-equivalent course, I am preparing for higher secondary exam with my wife Silja. I want to continue education after Plus Two as well,” says Wilson, a fisherman who aspires to become a lawyer.
“Unlike in the past, husbands do not mind encouraging their wives to pursue education. They even join their wives to study together,” said Deepa James, Ernakulam officer of Literacy Mission.
The registration of students to equivalency courses dropped this year as the officials could not engage in awareness programmes due to the pandemic.
In Ernakulam, as many as 2,433 people are writing their higher secondary equivalency course exam at 19 centres. Among them, a majority are women, 1,342.
Currently, classes are conducted online which came as a blessing for many working men and women to attend classes or watch the recorded versions later after finishing their day’s job.
