COIMBATORE: A 68-year-old woman from Coimbatore has cleared the Class 12 board examination as a private candidate, over five decades after she dropped out of school. Raani N T, a resident of Kalikkanaickenpalayam on the outskirts of the city, scored 346 out of 600 marks, including 89 in Tamil, 50 in English and 48 in Economics. She studied independently at home without any formal coaching.
A native of Bodinayakkanur in Theni district, Raani completed Class 10 in 1972. “There were no opportunities for higher studies in my village back then. After marriage, I moved to Chennai and later to Coimbatore, but family responsibilities kept me from continuing my education,” she told TNIE.
The turning point came after the death of her husband in 2020. “With my children settled and no major family commitments, I wanted to do something for myself. I bought textbooks and studied every day for Class 11 exam,” she said.
After clearing Class 11 in her first attempt, she registered as a private candidate this year for the Class 12 boards. “I wanted to take the Science stream, but when it wasn’t available, I opted for Arts,” she said. Raani, who practises yoga and kalari, now hopes to pursue a degree in physical education. “I don’t know if I’ll get admission at this age, but I want to try.”
She fondly recalls the younger students looking at her with surprise at the exam centre. “I told them there is no age limit to learning.”