Jammu, September 15,2026- In a story of quiet determination and family support, 45-year-old Renu Hans, a speech and hearing-impaired woman from Jammu, has cleared her Class 10 examination — more than two decades after she first attempted it — with her teenage son standing by her side as teacher, guide and motivator throughout the journey.
A Long-Deferred Dream
Renu had appeared for her Class 10 examination once before, prior to her marriage, but could not clear it at the time. Her formal education came to a halt after that, even as her desire to study and eventually find work never quite faded. Watching friends and colleagues move ahead in their careers only sharpened that longing over the years.
Her son, Naman Koul, a Class 12 Science student, recalled how his mother’s frustration finally turned into resolve. “Mumma used to go to many places with her friends and colleagues. She always felt within herself, ‘Why can’t I do this? If my friends can get jobs, why can’t I?'” Naman said. “Then Mumma came to me and told me everything.”
A Son Takes Charge
Once Renu shared her wish with him, Naman began looking into how she could resume her studies. He visited several schools to understand the options available to her, before learning about the Jammu and Kashmir State Open Schooling (JKOS) scheme during a visit to the Board office. “I filled out Mumma’s form, paid the fees and got her enrolled,” he said.
With his mother enrolled, Naman took on the added responsibility of preparing her for the examination, all while managing his own Class 12 studies. He carved out time each evening after returning from school to sit with her, going over lessons and clearing doubts as they came up. “Whenever I returned from school in the evening, I would give Mumma some time. Along with managing my own studies, I also helped her with her studies. I would clear any doubts she had,” Naman said.
A Result That Brought the Family Together
Renu Hans and her husband, Bablu Koul, who is also deaf and non-speaking, live in a government flat in Lower Roop Nagar on the outskirts of Jammu. The family had migrated from Chawalgam village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district during the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s. Bablu earns a living as a tailor working from home, and despite limited means, the couple has consistently prioritised their son’s education — a support that, years later, Naman was able to return in kind.
When the results were declared, Renu had cleared her examination, a moment of joy that rippled well beyond the family. “Everyone was very happy when Mumma got good result. All our relatives and friends congratulated her and gave her their blessings,” Naman said.
More Than a Certificate
For Renu, the achievement represents far more than a Class 10 mark sheet. It is the fulfilment of an ambition she had carried quietly for over two decades, and a step toward the independence and opportunities she had long watched others enjoy. For Naman, the experience of teaching his own mother — clearing her doubts the way any tutor might, but with the added weight of family bond — has left him with a story he says he will carry with pride for years to come.
The episode has also drawn attention to the Jammu and Kashmir State Open Schooling scheme itself, which offers a flexible pathway for individuals who, for one reason or another, were unable to complete their formal education at the expected age. For families like Renu’s, it has proved to be more than an administrative provision — it has been a second chance at a dream deferred, made possible in the end by a son who refused to let his mother’s ambition go unanswered.
