Out of the five from Amarsingh, one is a boy and the other four are girls and from Srijana School, one is a girl and the others are boys. Whereas the blind students gave exams with the help of a writer and studied in Braille script in the classrooms, the deaf students were taught in sign language but gave written exams.
Last year, out of the nine blind students who appeared for SLC, one had passed with distinction and the rest in first division. The six deaf students, on the other hand, had all passed in first division.
“This year too we had hoped that at least one student would get distinction, but unfortunately that did not happen,” Vijay Lamichhane, the head of the visually impaired department of Amarsingh School, said. “But all of them passed in first division, so we are happy,” he said.
However, of the 110 students who appeared in SLC from Amarsingh, only 67 students passed the exam. Out of them, five passed with distinction, 42 with first division and 20 with second division.
All the five blind students were very good students and had secured high marks in the school exams as well, Lamichhane said. “They were always ahead in studies than those who could see,” he said.
There are 72 blind students presently studying in Amarsingh School. Next year three girls and three boys among them will appear in SLC. The five who passed this year are from Kaski, Shyangja, Lamjung and other districts.
The blind students hope to continue their studies as far as its financially possible for them. “We felt very nervous on the first day of SLC exams, but after that we wrote with confidence,” says Sherjung Gurung. “I am very happy that all of us passed the exam,” he added.
Gurung said that he would like to pursue his studies in the department of education. “I actually wanted to be a journalist, but since I cannot see at all, it would be impractical. So I want to study education,” he said over the telephone.
Gurung further said that up till now he was studying under government scholarship and is now looking for further financial support. “I have received positive signal from a few places. Let´s see what happens,” he said.
Meanwhile, Srijana Higher Secondary School has so far succeeded in passing some 39 deaf students since 2058 BS. There are a total of 212 students from 33 districts studying in this school. Next year, nine deaf students will appear in SLC, the headmaster of the school, Bishwaraj Bastola informed.
Even though they are taught in sign language they give written exams. According to Bastola, this is the only school run under government grant in the country for the deaf.
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