Underprivileged students score well in SSC exam

Pune: As Preetam Degde of Hadapsar has begun compiling his documents and certificates as a preparation for admission to Class XI, he gloats in happiness and amazed at his marks in the Class X Board examination.

Degde has scored 71 per cent marks in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination this year, and wishes to pursue a career in banking.

“I am very happy with my marks. My father is always ill and my mother works in the housekeeping department at a mall. There was never a scope for attending any coaching classes, so I have studied on my own and with help from my teachers. I will now take my further education in Commerce,” he added. He is a resident of Ramtekdi, Hadapsar and studied at Vitthalrao Shivarkar High School in Wanawadi.

Degde’s mother is associated with the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP). His story resembles that of many children like him who have overcome all the odds to be successful in the SSC examination. 

“I want to be a mechanical engineer,” said Madhuri Chavan of Hivre village near Saswad proudly, as she happily shared her success story with Sakal Times.

Elder amongst two siblings, Chavan will be the first in her family to pass SSC, and to even think of a career in engineering. She was a student of Gurumoorti Narayan Maharaj School in Hivre.

“Now that I have scored such good marks, my younger sister and cousins too are dreaming of studying and succeeding like me. My parents are proud, and I couldn’t be happier,” she said.

For Javed Makandar, a student of Paschim Maharashtra Education Trust- Marathi Madhyamik Vidyalay, Mitanagar, who hails from a family of five, that earns its living though waste-picking, scoring 74.4 per cent marks in SSC has been a big deal.

“I was always encouraged by my family to pursue education. My tution teacher also helped me a lot through the journey. I feel that now I can study even harder, and support my younger sisters as well,” said Makandar who wishes to become a banker one day.