CHENNAI: On Thursday, two 15-year-old boys brought immense pride to the Government High School tucked into a little place called Kesavarajakuppam in Thiruvallur.
B Easwaran and M Akash had both cleared their 10th standard boards, both setting individual milestones.
First, a school topper was born and second, a mentally-challenged student, who was doomed to fail, successfully passed with a grand total of 251 scoring 81 in his favorite subject, science. Akash, who scored 480 on 500, was on cloud nine, but he attributes the spring in his step not only to his newly-earned topper status, but also to having made his friend pass.
“I taught Easwaran every evening from 4 to 7 and I would then do my studying from 7 to 11,” he says cheerfully.
Easwaran’s mother, a farm labourer who has two more children, was afraid about him passing his exams. Adding to her woes, Easwaran has to shoulder the responsibility of his family despite his disability, having lost his father early. The school decided to do them a good turn. From collecting funds for his school uniforms to getting higher scoring kids to teach the ones with learning difficulties, the school principal Loganathan expresses how they followed up every step of the way. “Easwaran has low memory, and also some issues with grasping. But thankfully even though Akash himself comes from very humble means, he was ready to help teach his friend. He immediately agreed,” he says sounding immensely satisfied.
“Bio group. Medicine!” Akash states when asked what his plans are, explaining that it has been his mother’s long-time dream for him.
As for Easwaran, he alone will have the sole privilege of choosing. But for now it looks like he will be celebrating for a little while.