Age is just a number for K. Misalin Nona, an 88-year-old retired teacher from Prabuddhagama, Anguruwathota, who recently sat for the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) Tamil Language paper and obtained a credit pass.

“I was expecting something better—at least a B grade—I was quite confident I’d get it. But I’m still happy with the result and with getting placed. “Now, I’m preparing to sit the Tamil paper again and get an ‘A.’ That’s my plan.”

Born in 1937, Misalin Nona lives with her eldest daughter and granddaughter. She is the mother of seven children, all of whom are now adults. Her sons served in the armed forces and are now retired.

Her decision to sit the Tamil Language paper was personal and practical. “In our society, Tamil is a language we need. I wanted to study it more deeply,” she said. “I didn’t have a teacher. I found Tamil books and studied on my own.”

Misalin Nona first entered the teaching profession in 1957, at just 20 years old, after being appointed to a remote school in Madugalla, Nuwara Eliya. “I had to walk through forests and hills to get there,” she recalled. Later, she was transferred to Bulugathenna Muslim School in Akurana, where she faced the challenge of teaching Sinhala to Tamil-speaking students—despite not knowing Tamil herself at the time.

Her teaching career took her across the country, from Pamunuwa, Alawwa, and Diyasenpura to Aranayake and Ganetanna. She also completed formal training at Kalutara Museus Teachers’ College, before returning to her native Horana, where she continued to teach at several schools, including Werawatta School in Prabuddhagama and Remuna Maha Vidyalaya.

She retired from the profession in 1996, after 40 years of service. (With inputs from a recent article of Dinamina newspaper)