No Class 8 admission for software genius

Updated on: Saturday, June 11, 2011

She plays hide-and-seek and goes cycling with her friends every day like any other 10-year-old schoolgirl. She also scored 88% in a test on how to configure and trouble shoot VLAN (virtual local area networks) and 100% on implementing IP address schemes in an examination conducted by a top American communications firm. At the age of 10, K Visalini from Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district claims to be the youngest in the world to be recognised as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and to have cleared Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam. However, the child prodigy is now facing trouble getting admission in Class VIII because she is underage.

"So far she has studied in more than five schools," said her mother, Sethuragamaalika who tried to seek an attendance with education minister C Ve Shanmugam to find a solution.

"In each school, the authorities were worried that she is too young for a particular standard. She completed Classes 1-4 in two years. But after that the authorities started worrying about reaction of the education board if they find out that an eight-year-old is studying in sixth standard and asked us to leave. Since then we have shifted from several schools. She completed Class VI in three different schools.

Some schools even said her speed of comprehension was difficult to handle," said Sethuragamaalika. But Sankara Bagam principal of her current school, IIPE Lakshmi Raman Matriculation School chose to put it differently. "She is an outstanding student," he said. "Despite being three years younger than her classmates, she is still the class topper.

But in class, she grasps and finishes work in ten minutes while her classmates grapple for half hour. It gets difficult for teachers to give her more work and attention and at the same time pay attention to others." The school has insisted the parents get special permission to continue further from the school education board. "That is because she will need the permission to appear for her 10th standard exam," said Bagam. "So we are insisting now."

But the permission, is, however, slow in coming for Visalini despite knocking on several doors. "We have been seeking appointments with officials for quite some time now," said her mother.

School education secretary, D Sabitha said one student had already been given permission in the past to appear for tenth standard exam.

She was referring to S Chandrasekar, India's youngest M Tech graduate from Chennai, who enrolled in engineering at the age of 11. "I haven't received a representation from Visalini yet," she said. "When I do, it will definitely be considered."

Times of India

No Class 8 admission for software genius

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