Age did not deter an illiterate 55-year-old Nepali mother of five children to take up studies in a village in Damaouli district.

Sita Ghimire passed Class I after securing good marks and was ready to continue her studies with her daughters, Bijayaraj Pokharel, headmaster of the school at Jamune village, said.

Sita joined the school last year after she was humiliated at a religious function for not being able to write her name. She had give her thumb impression on the register book.

"I could not write even my name at a religious function, which was humiliating for me. Then I decided that I could also read and at least write my name," the National News Agency quoted her as saying.

Now Sita comes to school with her daughters. "I am very happy to come to school with my mother," said Pramila, one of her daughters.