The article “UCT in exam dilemma”, published in the Cape Argus on September 13, regarding the exam request relating to religious holidays, raises some interesting questions.
For example: When is a religious day really a “holy” day, or a religious festival day, or simply a religious commemorative day?
It seems to me that for Jews and a number of Christian churches, the only really “holy” day is the seventh day Sabbath, as proclaimed and written by the finger of God in the 10 Commandments as recorded in Exodus 20:8-11.
In terms of this godly command, no work may be done on this day because the Lord God Yeshua himself blessed the day and declared it holy in commemoration of the six-day Creation event.
When I was a UCT student, no exams were scheduled for Saturdays, the seventh day Sabbath. At Stellenbosch University, specific provision is made for Sabbath keepers. The Jews, Seventh-day Adventists, collect at a supervisors house at sunset on a Friday.
All cellphones are removed and they are kept under close supervision until Saturday evening when they write their exams after sunset.
There are a number of lesser Christian and Jewish holidays which are festivals rather than a blessed holy day. Ascension day, for example, used to be a public holiday and as a result no exams were written on that day.
At present, the day is not a holiday and virtually no one objects to writing exams on this day since it is not a biblically proclaimed holy day.
I am not sure what the situation is regarding Jewish festival days, other than the Sabbath, and to what extent they are holy days on which work is forbidden or not.
The Argus report refers to an incident between a lecturer and a student during Ramadaan this year. Muslims work during Ramadaan so it is not clear why they cannot write exams during the day.
It was interesting to read that UCT cannot accommodate religious days that do not follow a solar calendar.
The Hindu day of Diwali falls on November 7 this year. I wonder to what extent Diwali is a “holy” day, or is it just a festival or simply another religious day?
What is the authoritative source of different religious holy days or festival days. It seems like a religious festival day is of lesser importance than a real “holy” day.
Is there some kind of rating guide to the different holy days and religious festival days?
What are the latest provisions at UCT regarding holy days and religious festivals and exam writing?
* Dr Bernhard Ficker, Somerset West.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.