Koletkar Kalpana Achyut, a 53-year-old woman from Maharashtra who dropped out of school 37 years prior due to financial difficulties, has demonstrated that age is not a barrier to education by passing the Class 10 (SSC) exams. Prasad Jambhale, her son, shared her achievement on LinkedIn. 

Prasad Jambhale, her son and a senior software engineer at Mastercard, shared Achyut’s motivational tale in a touching message for her on LinkedIn. He said in the message, “Very proud of you, mom.” 

Speaking of his mother’s dedication, Jambhale, who resides in Ireland, said he was unaware of it until he returned to India for his wedding. She just learned that the Maharashtra government permitted anyone to retake the exam by enrolling at night school after discontinuing her studies due to budgetary limitations. The government paid for all of the training and material costs. 

Her days began with her studying all of the SSC course material. She once showed me her notebook when I was back in India, and I was astounded to see how proficient she was in both English and algebra.

 She also gave me pictures of how their group of ex-students is being celebrated after deciding to return, writes Jambhale in the post. In the post, he also included images of her grade report, on which she scored 79.60%, and the classroom. 

The narrative began when my mother was 16 years old, her father passed away, and a financial crisis ensued, forcing her to drop out of school and start working so her siblings could finish their education.

Now moving forward, my mother was working at a government school last year when a teacher approached her and inquired about her education. Upon learning that my mother had not passed the SSC, the teacher told my mother that there is a new government programme that allows those who still need to finish their SSC to reappear. The government provided free study materials, offline training, and internet training. 

Then, while keeping it a secret, she began returning to school last December 2021. I only recently learned about it because I live in Ireland and was getting married before her exams. When I used to call through the Indian night in Ireland, I would always ask, “Where is mom?” And when I heard that she had gone for a walk, I found it strange that she had developed an interest in them. I had no idea she was going to night school. She kept this a secret from my father and brother, who share the same roof, for a whole month. 

Her days began with her mastering all of the SSC curriculum’s lessons. Even after all these years, she could still learn new things, and she was also the class’s top student. And I can tell you that despite my wedding being in February and her examinations in March, she could multitask successfully. 

Sometimes it’s incredible how privileged I am to have never had to worry about anything and to be able to advance in my career. Who knows what my mum could have been able to accomplish? If she enjoyed the same benefits as me. I’ve always been proud of my mother, and this experience has taught me never to stop learning—even if it takes me until I’m 53 to pass the SSC. 

Since then, Jambhale’s post has received a deluge of congratulations due to her viral story on social media.

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