Indian-origin girl passes UK exams despite going blind

London: An 18-year-old Indian-origin girl in the UK who went partially-blind after she was hit by Glaucoma in her left eye today passed all her exams even though she was unable to attend all her classes.

Simran Kaur from Villiers High School in Southall, west London, was advised to take a year off but decided to complete her A-Levels, the secondary school leaving qualification in the UK.

Kaur said: "It started pretty much as soon as I started my A-levels so you could say it was really bad timing. The teachers tried to convince me to take a break and do it next year".

"They were looking out for me but I was so determined I even went to the head-teacher to convince him I could do it. He believed in me, which I am so grateful for," she said. Kaur was able to undergo corrective surgery on her eye only in July, after her exams.

"My friends thought I was crazy taking the exams without being able to see. I suppose it was but it all worked out. I was way behind in my studies and obviously studying was quite hard without being able to see. My sight is good now and everything is ok but it will always be a time I remember as a real challenge," she told 'Daily Express'.

Kaur has now been offered admission to Hertfordshire University but is weighing up her options for university. "I couldn't be more pleased for Simran. She is a real example to everyone - students and teachers," said her teacher Patrick Cootes.

"She has showed that there are no barriers to success at Villiers High School - if you work hard and follow your dreams anything is possible," he added.
A-Level results were declared across the UK on Thursday with girls once again getting better results than boys, with 79.7 per cent of girls getting grades A' to C, compared with 75 per cent for boys.

The year 2016 also marks a record one for students being offered university admissions.