KARACHI: Nine girls bagged all the top positions in science, general and special groups as the results of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) announced the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) part-II results here on Thursday.

Her eyes brimming with tears of joy, Yusra Asad of ABSA School for the Deaf, who stood first in the special group with 759 marks out of a total of 850, received her prizes from board chairman Anwar Ahmed Zai. A teacher from her school came forward to interpret for her. Later, she introduced herself as not just a teacher from the school but also Yusra’s mother. There was thunderous applause from the audience in the hall comprising other parents, teachers, students and media persons when she said she had specially learnt sign language after realising that her daughter was deaf and mute.

Special students who topped Yusra Asad (L) and Tooba Shahid. Photos by Fahim Siddiqi / White Star

Yusra gestured that she wanted to be an artist and hoped to get into the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture someday. She also hoped to get a regular job after completing her studies.

Her mother, Asma Asad, said that Yusra was a very hard-working student. “She is very bright too and doesn’t let go of her books until she has thoroughly understood her lessons,” she said.

Tooba Shahid from the same school stood second with 758 marks. She spoke through her mother, Salma Shahid, who also said that she learnt sign language to be able to teach and communicate with her three deaf and mute children. “I left my job for my children who may have their family around them at home and friends who are like them at school, but get very lonely when brought out of these two environments. Therefore, I request all people to learn sign language in order to fill the communication gap with deaf and mute people who are very bright and full of ideas otherwise so that they, too, can be brought into the mainstream,” she said.

Tooba gestured to say that she wanted to become a teacher after completing her education. She also said that she liked to stitch and her mother added that Tooba stitched her own school uniform.

General group students who bagged the top three positions. Photos by Fahim Siddiqi / White Star

Fatima Abbas, who stood third with 746 marks, couldn’t be there due to being out of town, also belonged to ABSA School for the Deaf.

Aqsa Zubai of Al-Badar Higher Secondary School, who stood first in the general group (760 marks), shared her ambitions of going into fashion designing. Hareem Siddiqui (757 marks) and Hafiza Kainat Malik (742 marks), who in the same group stood second and third, respectively, belong to Iqra Haffaz Girls Secondary School.

In the science group, Anousha Asghar of Oxford Islamic Scientific School (789 marks), Muneeba Talib of the same school (787 marks) stood first and second, respectively, while Muneeza Azam of Programmer Girls Sec School (786 marks) stood third. All three bagged the A-One grade and hoped to go into medicine later.

There they stood, their heads held high, the special students in green gowns, the science students in maroon gowns and the general group students in dark blue one. “They are the seeds that will one day grow into big trees providing shade to others. Though very young right now, they deserve all our respect so the board gave them these gowns to wear,” said BSEK Chairman Anwar Ahmed Zai.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015

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