Elderly people of Alappuzha speak English due to language course of Kerala state literacy mission

ALAPPUZHA: Alappuzha has received even international attention through Nari Shakti Puraskar winner and 98-year-old Aksharalaksham rank holder Karthiyayani Amma.
Now, many other elderly people, who did not go to complete their high school education during their teenage times, in Alappuzha have started to speak English. Thanks to the ‘Good English Course’ of Kerala State Literacy Mission.
The 70-year-old Subhashini B of Mannancherry grama panchayat, who has completed the four month long English course, can now speak and read English. Subhashini, her friends Sobhana and Sathi Bhai are now speaking in English whenever they meet and also through phone.
“I was born and brought up in Ambalappuzha. It was my dream to secure higher education and bagged a government job. But I could study only till seventh standard due to the financial constraints. After my marriage, I also became busy with my family affairs and other daily wage works,” said Subhashini.
Subahashini, who lives with her family in Mannancherry, came to know about the tenth equivalency course and higher secondary equivalency course in 2015. She has passed both the courses with flying colours. She was also honoured by chief minister in Thiruvananthapuram after she bagged good marks in the tenth equivalency course. Now she and her friends also completed the Good English course and now she can easily speak and read English. Subhashini said Good English course is a very good course.
“The people, who are 18-years-old, can attend the Good English Course and there is no upper age limit for joining the course. The batch of Subhashini was the third batch of the course and she was the most senior and very good student of the batch. Along with Subhashini, 39 students attended the examination,” said literacy mission district coordinator K V Ratheesh.
In 2018 August, at the age of 96, Karthiyayini Amma scored 98 marks out of 100 in the Aksharaleksham examination of the literacy mission. She also received Nari Shakti Puraskar of the central government from President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sought her blessings.
The 98-year-old Karthiyayini Amma, hailing from Cheppad in Haripad here, also became a star in social media.
Karthiyayini Amma joined Aksharaleksham course of the literacy mission on January 26, 2018. The people, who did not go regular schools, can study fourth standard, seventh standard, tenth standard and higher secondary equivalency courses of the literacy mission and attend the exam.
In order to attend the fourth standard, a student should clear Aksharaleksham course. At present, Karthiyayini Amma is attending seventh standard equivalency course of the literacy mission.