Sandhya Nair, TNN | Jun 8, 2013,

MUMBAI: A sweeper in a Nalasopara school secured a first class in the SSC board exam. She is not the only one to clear the exam in her family – her daughter, too, passed it with 80% this year. Both appeared together.Neeta Waghela (34) works as a sweeper with Mother Teressa school in Nalasopara. When her daughter Aarti, a student of Mother Mary High School in Nalasopara began her Class X studies, Neeta too got interested.

She had been unable to study beyond Class IX due to family problems. Aarti encouraged her mother to appear for the exam. Despite having schooled in Gujarati medium, Neeta decided to complete her Class X in Hindi medium.

“Both of us had the same exam centre in Naigaon. I appeared in Hindi medium and my daughter gave her papers in English,” said Neeta, who is elated at their success.

Neeta always wanted to be a teacher.

“Every time I watched a teacher in class, I wanted to become one. My daughter encouraged me to go for it,” said Neeta who now wants to pursue a teachers’ course after completing Class XII. Neeta has already cleared a Montessori course with a score of 72%