Exams have been postponed by a week at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). This decision follows after almost two months of Fees Must Fall protests with exams fast approaching. A peace treaty has been signed by various stakeholders and it has been agreed that exams will begin on November 21.
The agreement was reached last weekend through the assistance of mediators among the various stakeholders. After the agreement was signed, a joint statement was released on Monday. The joint statement was released by the university management, the Fees Must Fall activists and representatives from the Student Representative Council, Outsourcing Must Fall, workers union Nehawu and Cape Peninsula University Employees’ Union. The statement outlines conditions to ensure that operations on campus return to normality.
The statement explained the reasoning behind the postponement of November exams. It said postponing exams “will create an environment conducive to learning so that students who choose to write exams in the Nov/Dec sitting may be able to do so.” It said an environment conducive to learning consists of access to academic support, learning amenities and Wi-Fi.
The statement explained how the university plans on restoring an environment conducive to learning. The first step was that all staff returned to work and private security was removed from campus today. Further, a task team has been set up with the purpose of assessing “the readiness of on campus examination venues so that they can be utilised for examinations from Monday 21 November”.
Acting vice-chancellor John Volmink acknowledged that the university has “made some principled comprises in order to ‘buy peace'” at our university.” Volmink also apologised for the impact that the agreement may have had on the planning in scheduling exams. “Please understand that if there was any other way to bring about stability we would have done so,” he concluded.
Currently management and student leaders have committed to ensuring that there will be no disruptions at venues being used for exam preparation or the writing of exams.
