Why do old people decide to go back to school?
If you ask many they will tell you they want to know how to count money. In some cases others want to learn English to feel fit in the society. Others just want to be literate and competent in the society.
But how would you feel if an old person outsmarts you not necessarily in exams, but they are ranked above you?
A 68-year-old granny is among 1 million candidates sitting for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations and says she went to school to be able to know how to count money.
Veronica Kaleso, a farmer, who is taking her examinations in Unoa Primary School in Makueni County, says lack of education has exposed her to massive losses because of her workers who take advantage of her illiteracy.
“I am a farm manager and I normally lose a lot of money since my employees and customers steal from me. They take advantage of me,” Kaleso said.
Kaleso said she is eager to know how to read and write English to enable her to communicate well with her customers and is aiming to achieve at least 400 marks. The granny, who is likely to be one of the oldest candidate sitting for this year’s national examinations in Primary school, revealed that she owns a smart phone, which she said poses a challenge to her due to her illiteracy.
“Going to school will help me know these things. I also want to know how to operate this smart phone,” she added.
The granny sat for her exam in the same school with her granddaughter who is 13-year-old and was hopeful of doing better than her.
“I am confident of garnering more than 400 marks,” a visibly elated Kaleso said.
In Nakuru County, 54-year-old Raphael Ngugi is taking his examinations at Kaptembwa Primary school.
But it was in 2016 when septuagenarian, who specialized as a traditional midwife, Cheptakar Kakuko Tukongole from Baringo County sat for her KCPE at 71 years, in what shocked and excited the country in an almost equal measure.
The increased need for education for the elderly appears to have been motivated by Kimani Maruge, who went to primary school at 88, entering the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest person in the world to start elementary school.
DO YOU THINK SHE IS POSITIVE INFLUENCE TO OTHER OLD PEOPLE?