96-Year-Old Female Secures Almost Flawless Score on Initial Test Following Late-Life Literacy Acquisition
According to Trading Economics, the literacy rate among women aged over 65 years was merely 30.29% in 2018. While improvements are being made, this low statistic resulted from many of these women marrying young and starting families early, along with facing enduring gender inequality, restricted access to education in rural regions, and persistent poverty. Regardless of these challenges, one Indian woman triumphed by acquiring the ability to read and write later in life and subsequently excelled academically. At 96 years old, Karthyayani Amma emerged as a symbol for women’s education globally.
Born in Kerala in 1922, Amma had to leave school prematurely to work and support her family. She also married young and worked as a street sweeper and maid, on top of her duties as a mother of six. After retirement, she relocated to an elderly colony where she made the decision to enroll in a learning course, largely motivated by her daughter, who had succeeded in a literacy test at 60. Amma also learned reading and writing from her great-grandchildren, who were 9 and 12 years old at that time.
When prepared, Amma took her very first academic test—a literacy exam as part of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority’s Aksharalaksham program, which evaluated proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. Among 40,362 participants, she achieved the highest score with an impressive 98 out of 100. “I learned so much for no reason. The tests were way too easy for me,” she shared with The Economic Times.
This accomplishment led to accolades and immense recognition. Most notably, she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar, the highest civilian honor for women bestowed by the Indian government, presented to her by the then-President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. She was also featured in a documentary titled Barefoot Empress by Indian-American celebrity chef Vikas Khanna. Furthermore, Amma became a Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill ambassador starting in 2019, aiming to promote awareness about distance education and open learning as an option where education is not readily accessible.
Despite all the recognition, Amma’s aspirations continued to expand. She aimed for a new milestone—passing the Class X equivalency exam by the age of 100. When the Covid pandemic halted in-person learning, she bravely turned to digital resources.
“She spends most of her time in front of the laptop, either reading the online study material or watching [the] ‘Aksharam’ YouTube channel of the Literacy Mission,” her literacy instructor, Sathi, informed The New Indian Express. “The channel provides various pre-recorded classroom videos, and she attentively takes notes.”
Amma was also eager to learn English, just like her great-grandchildren who were studying it at that time. Unfortunately, the inspiring woman passed away at age 101 in 2023, yet she will always be remembered for exceeding expectations. Following her death, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan referred to Amma as “Kerala’s pride and a model person,” as she motivated countless school dropouts to reconsider education. Ultimately, her story serves as a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to chase your dreams—and that learning may be the most honorable goal of all.
At 96 years old, Karthyayani Amma became a symbol for women’s education worldwide by obtaining a near-perfect score in a literacy exam—her very first test!
Photo: Government of India (Government Open Data License – India, GODL) via Wikimedia Commons
Sources: 96-year-old Karthyayani Amma passes Kerala’s literacy exam, wins hearts; Kerala adult literacy topper Karthyayani Amma passes away at age 101; Grannies of learning embrace digital; Karthyayani Amma Is Now a Commonwealth Learning Goodwill Ambassador; India – Elderly Literacy Rate, Population 65+ Years, Female
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