Hundreds of educational philosophy students staged a mass walkout from their test at the University of Limpopo after reportedly complaining that the assessment was too difficult. However, some students insist that chaos erupted when they realised that the question paper was wrong and outdated.
In three videos circulating on various social media platforms with over 2000 viewers, the students can be seen packing up after they had ben handed the question paper.
In one video, a female student pulls out from her bra what looks like crib notes as she dances celebrating the walkout, and in another video the students complain that the exam will “kill” them.
The educational philosophy assessment papers that caused the University of Limpopo students to walk out.
One of the students who was also set to write the test said she was now worried that the reputation of the institution was tarnished because of the students who were unprepared and took their studies lightly.
Enough about Bonang and phil mphela on Sun city story. University of Limpopo Students left in the exam center saying the exam is too difficult.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/xD8yHk2rC2
— Live A Little (@BornToLeadSA) August 28, 2018
“To be honest, the test was not that difficult and I studied very hard. We have previously had more challenging tests; this was nothing. While the majority of students were the ones who disrupted the session, a few of us who wanted to write had no power to continue to do so,” said the student, who declined to be named.
She said the commotion started five minutes into the test, and the instigators also went to other two venues to recruit other people to join the protest.
“They started tearing up the scripts, screaming and shouting. We stayed in the venue for an hour and a lecturer came and said it is our choice to write or not. My biggest worry is that I have other tests to prepare for and I have to re-study this missed subject if we are even given a second chance to write."
University spokesperson Johannes Selepe confirmed that the incident took place on Tuesday and that they were investigating the matter, as about 900 third-year students did not take the set assessment.
“We’re aware of the incident and can confirm the footage is authentic. We will have a full report and know which steps to take, which will be communicated to the students,” he said.
An education activist, Hendrick Makaneta, said there were channels that students could have used to voice their issues instead of being disruptive.