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A 104-year-old woman from India passed a state literacy test. Kuttiyamma only learned to read and write last year. She had a year's tuition and was older than the average pupil, but she passed her test with flying colours. She got 89 per cent on the Kerala literacy test. Kerala's education minister congratulated her. He tweeted: "With the utmost love and respect, I wish Kuttiyamma…the best." He uploaded a photo of her in which she is grinning from ear to ear. Another person tweeted: "I salute Kuttiyamma for her dedication. It will inspire others for sure."
Kerala has India's highest literacy rate at 96.2 per cent. It invests heavily in education, with a strong focus on adult education. She has shown that age is just a number and that people can achieve anything when they put their minds to it. Kuttiyamma did not go to school. Her tutor called her "a very sharp woman". He said she was "overjoyed" after she saw her test results. A state official said: "Kuttiyamma is a role model and motivation to all women in adult education". Kuttiyamma will now start writing letters and continue her studies to improve her skills.
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