Kochi: Art of learning in school with 14 twins and a triplet

KOCHI: It is a stone’s throw away from the busy National Highway-544, the old NH-47, at Kalamassery, on a bylane, but the Najath Public School presents a picture of silence with most students in the classroom while a few play soccer.

In its silence, the school has a rare contingent of 14 twins and one triplet from Class II to Class XII. Most of them do not talk much, and the common refrain from them is that while they compete to study, they can’t withstand if the other one in the pair is hurt or has a breakdown. The youngest of the pair Mihad Ibrahim and Mahra Fathima in Class II come alive as the pack face the question ‘whether the pairs sit together in class to study’.

“No…no… the miss doesn’t allow that; she says we will talk to each other most of the time and won’t listen to the class,” says Mihad.

The eldest of the pair Shahil Salam and Sahilm Salam in Class XII have in fact taken two different groups for study. Sahil has chosen commerce while Shadil has taken science. Both are soccer players too, one playing in the right-wing and the other in the left-wing. Though they have opted for different groups, for common subjects like English, they sit together to study.

“Eleven of them are identical pairs, but the bond remains the same among all,” says principal Dr V. Manoranjini.

“Sometimes we felt that when one thinks something, the other can sense it. We never tend to compare one with the other in studies. Our policy is to bring them up together.”

The triplets in the school are Muhammed Savad N S, Muhammed Salim N S and Muhammed Sahal N S (Class V). The other twins are Sabith K A and Swaliha Mariyam (Class III); Aysha Thamin and Fathima Thahsin (Class III); Shebeel Ashik and Nuha Ashik (Class IV); Muhammed Imran K U and Fidha Fathima K U (Class VI); Farha Nissar and Fahma Nissar (Class VI); Iyan Subbair and Afran Subbair (Class VI); Amin V M and Ashmin V M (Class VII); Mahin Sibi and Rehan Sibi (Class VIII); Najiya PM and Nafiya PM (Class VIII); Muhammed Hassan and Muhammed Hussan (Class X) and Reneema Salam and Raniya Salam (Class X). There are three boy-girl pairs among the lot.

“In the early classes, teachers confuse identical twins, but later we can distinguish. It is easy for those who are familiar and not others,” said teacher Sunitha Rani.