World
16:03, 11-Aug-2017
Never too old to learn: Thai grandma gets bachelor's degree at 91
["other","Thailand"]
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Kimlan Jinakul received her bachelor's degree in Human Ecology from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) near Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday...at the age of 91!
The road to graduation was not easy for Kimlan, as she took more than 10 years of on-off study to complete the course since first applying in 1998.
The university said Kimlun had not received any special treatment in terms of grading and had in fact failed half of her courses and had to resit examinations on several occasions.
91-year-old Kimlan Jinakul. /Thai PBS Photo
91-year-old Kimlan Jinakul. /Thai PBS Photo
"When I was young, I actually received good grades," she said, "I have always enjoyed reading. I even bought manuals to educate myself so I could help my children with their homework."
Kimlun said she was inspired to continue her formal education in 2011 after her children and grandchildren had received university degrees and landed good jobs.
"It's never too late to study," she told reporters during rehearsals for the graduation ceremony.
The Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) is the first in Thailand to offer long-term learning to senior people and currently has 199 students over the age of 60.
3299km