At 45, Renu Hans cleared her Class 10 examination with 82%, 22 years after her first attempt. The deaf and non-speaking Kashmiri Pandit woman was helped by her son Naman Koul, a Class 12 Science student, who prepared her while managing his own studies. Renu had left education after marriage but always hoped to study, work and become independent.
At 45, Renu Hans has achieved something she had once feared was beyond her reach. More than two decades after she first appeared for her Class 10 examination, the Kashmiri Pandit woman has cleared it with 82%. Renu, who is deaf and non-speaking, had to leave formal education behind after her first attempt. But the dream of studying further and getting a job stayed with her. This time, she did not return to the classroom alone. Her only son, Naman Koul, a Class 12 Science student, helped her prepare for the examination while managing his own studies.
Renu’s unfinished dream gets a second chance
Renu had appeared for her Class 10 examination before getting married but could not clear it. Her education then came to a stop.
Years later, Naman felt that his mother deserved an opportunity to complete what she had started.
“I felt that my mother should not be confined to the house. If she studies, she can move forward in life,” he told news agency PTI.
He said his mother had always wanted to study and find a good job, and completing Class 10 was an important first step towards that goal.
The family lives in a government flat in Lower Roop Nagar on the outskirts of Jammu. They had migrated from Chawalgam village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district during the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s.
Son helps mother study while preparing for Class 12
Getting Renu registered for the examination was not easy. Naman initially knew little about the scheme that could allow her to appear again.
When he approached the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, he was reportedly told that the scheme had been discontinued. He kept following developments and eventually managed to register her for the biannual examination held in April.
Once she was registered, mother and son worked out a study routine around Naman’s own Class 12 preparation.
He set aside study hours for his mother in the evening and helped clear her doubts at night after finishing his schoolwork.
For Renu, even entering the examination centre was a new experience after such a long gap. She was nervous when she saw candidates from different age groups.
“She was a little scared because there were students much younger than her, as well as older candidates. But with time, she settled down and became comfortable,” Naman said.
Communication was never a barrier
Naman has grown up communicating with his parents through gestures. His father, Bablu Koul, is also deaf and non-speaking and works from home as a tailor.
Naman said he gradually learnt to understand his parents with help from his maternal grandparents and aunt.
His father also supported Renu’s decision to resume her education. According to Naman, Bablu encouraged his wife to consider working and assured her that he would support her.
The family’s financial circumstances have been modest, but Renu and Bablu supported their son’s education. Years later, Naman returned that support by helping his mother with hers.
(With inputs from agencies)