Determined kids in UAE ace Indian curriculum exams

While thousands of Grade 10 and 12 pupils aced the recent CBSE and ICSE Board exams, there was another set of students who made their parents and schools proud despite all odds. They were the determined ones who did not let their physical and developmental issues get in the way of their success.  Hundreds of determined students in the UAE sat for the Indian curriculum board exams and, with the support of their schools and parents, many scored high marks even without special coaching. Saman Haziq talks to three of them.
Aditya Jaikrishnan
Autistic
ICSE Score: 80%
GEMS Modern Academy
Seventeen-year-old Aditya Jaikrishnan, better known as AJ, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of four. He was homeschooled after kindergarten until Grade 5, as he wasn't able to attend the regular school.
After a couple of years of education in the UAE and one year in a US public school, AJ joined the ICSE-curriculum GEMS Modern Academy as a Grade 9 student.
"The unflinching support of the school's SEN department under Ma'am Prabha and her team, headed by principal Nargish Khambatta, AJ took up subjects he had never encountered before, such as history and economics, and seemed to have absorbed all the information," said AJ's mother Anitha.
He scored 80 per cent in the ICSE exam, with 91 per cent in arts and 93 per cent in environmental studies.
AJ, who wants to become an interior designer one day, lives by a mantra that is summed up in a poster in his room: "Tough times never last but tough people do."
"It rings true with me because I'm not really the type of person who would walk out on a task and just give up easily, no matter how bad things get. I know things will always get better in the end, and I know that I should never give up," AJ said.
Talking about his study habits, AJ said: "My method of studying involved preparing in advance by focusing on a specific subject and paying close attention to the syllabus of each chapter. This method also involved studying for one subject first, and then studying for the next after the exam was over. It all paid off, and really helped me improve in my weaker subjects."
Namitha Mary Abraham
Wheelchair-bound due to a brain tumour surgery
CBSE score: 86.2%
GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
Namitha had a brain tumour that affected her ability to write and speak and after undergoing surgery, she was left wheelchair-bound. Despite her circumstances, she scored 86.2 per cent in her CBSE exams, with a 92 per cent in English, her favourite subject.
Namitha was a normal student until the age of 13, when a tumour surfaced in her brain. She lost partial sight and mobility due to the tumour, which was later removed.
These physical limitations had never dampened her spirit to excel, and she persuaded her parents to approach GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai (OOD) to take her back. She rejoined OOD in September 2018 as a Grade 9 student after a break of two years.
The CBSE board exam was a challenge for her, but the school supported her all the way, giving her exemptions, extra time and a scribe.
Namitha, who wants to become an English professor one day, said it's her positivity and unwavering trust in God and prayer that helped her succeed. She has had an eye surgery recently and she is also undergoing physiotherapy.
"I believe my good health will come back and that hope keeps me going. Also, I read and have seen so many stories of 'special' people without limbs who are doing well, which make me feel much better placed in life. I have supportive parents and helpful teachers and friends who inspire and support me," she said.
Sharing her success mantra, Namitha said: "Nothing is impossible with God, so we just have to work hard and trust God and the results will be good."
Taha Shahbaz Anwar
Visually impaired
CBSE score: Around 80%
Gulf Indian High School Dubai
Taking the recent CBSE test was probably the last time Grade 10 student Taha would sit for an exam as a regular student, since he is suffering from a rare visual disorder called congenital cone-rod dystrophy - a genetic disease that is turning him blind.
In a few months, doctors have said, Taha will go completely blind and, therefore, will not be able to study in a regular school. Yet the boy, who had a scribe writing his exam as he dictated the answers, managed to top the students of determination category.
He said he fared well in the exams because of the support of his school's special education teachers, who gave him a number of extra classes. Audio lessons on YouTube were also of big help for Taha.
Taha's father and older sister also have the same visual issues, which is why his mother is the only earning member of the family.
"It was hard for me to study for the board exams as I could not see properly. My head would ache as I sit for long hours, trying to read and hear lectures online. But by the grace of God, I managed," he said. 
Talking about future, Taha said: "I cannot study any further due to my condition, so I will enrol in some vocational course and polish my communication skills as I know I can talk well.
"There are so many people who do not have hands and legs, so when I see or hear about them, I thank God for my abilities. This  inspires me and gives me the courage to make the most of what I have. I owe it to my parents and teachers who are very supportive."