Cape Town - While UCT is yet to communicate when in-person exams will continue again, third-year preclinical medical students are calling for the institution to consider online exams for them, claiming their health was unnecessarily placed at risk.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the country’s move to level 4 of the risk-adjusted lockdown, which includes contact classes at tertiary institutions ending on on Wednesday.
The move has been hailed by students, as the number of infections among them increases.
Thousands also signed petitions online, calling for exams to be conducted online.
A group of third-year preclinical medical students have now said the majority of their exam was theory based, and they don’t understand why they were not being allowed to write online.
“Our point is that, even if the number of infections drop and contact classes or exams resume, we don’t have to go on campus. We seriously feel like the President’s announcement, of moving to level 4, has saved many of us,” they said.
“As the preclinical medical students, we wrote an email to the deputy dean of the faculty about our concerns because we are not doing practicals in hospital or on campus – but to no avail.
This was despite a good portion of the university having their exams moved to online, including health and rehab students within the faculty of health sciences.
Two students, who wrote with us on Thursday, tested Covid-19 positive. In the past weeks, we felt like our safety was not being prioritised.
“Our plea is that they reconsider and move our exams online,” the students said.
UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said all exams, which were conducted in person, were governed by the prevailing regulations under lockdown alert level 3.
“In order to ensure the integrity of examinations, and thus the integrity of the health professional qualifications, the Faculty of Health Sciences proceeded with on-site invigilated and clinical examinations,” said Moholola.
Moholola said very few infections were recorded among students, especially given that students are on the clinical platform, with greater exposure to Covid-19.
“Following the announcement of lockdown level 4, the faculty and the university have rescheduled all in-person examinations, in light of the amended regulations. All online exams will continue.
Undergraduate and postgraduate classes, tutorials, and undergraduate laboratory practices on campus, are suspended.
An exception is students on a clinical platform, who should await further guidance,” concluded Moholola.
Cape Times