Africa-Press – Eswatini. Despite the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Senate’s resolution to suspend examinations this semester as per the demand of the students, some fourth year students want to write the examinations.
The decision by the fourth year students comes amidst a resolution taken by a majority of students on Monday during a vote on whether to continue with the examinations or not.
According to insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity, the fourth year students approached the UNESWA administration to request that they sit for the exams.
The reason they cited was that since the university had decided to use the Continuous Assessment (CA) to determine whether or not they proceed to the next semester, such was going to be detrimental to their academic future.
The students pointed out that they would be completing their studies this semester and therefore, they would need to sit for the examinations in order to become employable after graduation.
UNESWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane confirmed that it had come to their attention that some fourth year students are requesting to sit for the examinations.
He said he advised the students to follow the appropriate channels of communication.
“We have heard about the rumours and they are yet to be made a reality by the students. It would be appropriate for the concerned students to follow appropriate channels of communication,” Simelane said.
Meanwhile, the registrar confirmed through a memorandum that the Senate deliberated on student issues at its special meeting held on June 6, 2022 and resolved that all 2021/2022 undergraduate examinations for semester one should be suspended.
Simelane said students should complete their CA for semester one and be allowed to proceed to semester two using the CA.
He said the logistics for the commencement of lectures in semester two should be worked out at faculty level and the commencement date of semester two shall be decided by the Senate in due course and the implications of proceeding by using CA should be dealt with at Faculty level, where issues of quality and standards should be addressed.
“An earlier correspondence on the above-mentioned subject which was purported to have originated from the undersigned was fraudulently designed and disseminated, an act which should be condemned and frowned upon by all,” Simelane said.
This comes shortly after the students registered their complaint to the administration of the university that they were not ready to sit for the examinations following the series of protests which disrupted the learning process at the university. Worth noting is that even though the year four students are keen to sit for the examinations, some of the students within the category of year one to three, who were randomly interviewed by this publication expressed their satisfaction and contentment over the Senate’s resolution to suspend the examinations.
One of the students who chose to comment on condition of anonymity stated that the suspension of the examinations was a huge relief for them. She said they would have no doubt failed the examination, given the fact that they failed to cover the whole course material for this semester following the repeated closure of the university due to protests instigated by the students over a myriad of issues.
The students’ concerns included the non-payment of their personal allowances.
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