Chennai: With plus-2 results out on Wednesday, the Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the Blind got the taste of centum in Economics for the first time in 90 years. Not only did she manage to create history, P.Mahalakshmi also topped the school with 1125/1200 followed by Indirani with 1106 marks.
Coming from an economically backward family with her father employed as a lorry driver and her mother a homemaker, Mahalakshmi aspires to join the IAS.
“Someday I want to get my family out of all issues and lead a happy life. I am overwhelmed at my score; it was only possible because of continuous activities and revision,” said Mahalakshmi who is also a good chess player.
Beaming with pride, her Economics teacher, Alphonse Carolina Mary who has been teaching in the school since 1999 said that this was totally unexpected from the 16-year-old. Economics is one of the most difficult subjects to teach the blind as it is abstract, due to which there is no possibility to give them a real life experience. I try to cheer them up with dramas and other activities,” she said.
All this could be achieved despite facing acute water shortage in June and July last year and drainage overflow throughout the academic year. The school for the deaf located on the campus saw all 29 students clearing the exam. S.Bakyalakshmi topped with 918 marks out of 1000.
Poor pass percentage in coastal, northern districts
Coastal and northern districts of Tamil Nadu excluding Chennai have performed below the state pass percentage. Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts along TN coast recorded low pass percentage when compared to southern and western Tamil Nadu.
Backward districts like Ariyalur and Krishnagiri also finished at the bottom of the table. Surprisingly both Kancyheepuram and Tiruvalliur despite having access to better schools and private coaching centers finished at the bottom recording 87 per cent. Nilgiris and Perambalur have done better this year securing above 90 per cent.Commenting about the poor pass percentage in Tiruvannamalai district, district education officer Jayakumar said that the compulsory pass up to standard nine is one of the reason for the district to record low pass percentage.
According to state officials both Villupuram and Cuiddalore has been on the bottom of the education and the health index. “There is a need to improve the infrastructure in both the districts and the parents in backward districts show little interest in education unlike the parents in Tirunvelveli and Tiruppur”, said a senior officer who has served in Cuddalore as the district collector.
