CPUT cancels exams due to ongoing unrest
Lizeka Tandwa, News24
Johannesburg – The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has cancelled exams until further notice due to prolonged protest action.
In a statement, it said there would be no exams at the Bellville, Wellington and Wingfield venues this year.
Final exams at CPUT's Bellville campus, was once again brought to a halt on Monday morning after weeks of unrest.
The institution said exam venues were vandalised on Sunday night.
News24 had earlier reported that the campus had seen weeks of violent protests with property destroyed. This as students demanded the scrapping of their existing debt.
Scores of students have been arrested and charged with public violence. They were scheduled to return to court next month.
“We have been under severe pressure for some time now to postpone examinations. We resisted this as we were aware that the postponement of examinations could have a major impact on the future careers of some of our students," it said.
“We thus explored alternative scenarios including the use of off-campus venues to provide students an opportunity to write either in December 2015 or in January 2016. However, the unfortunate events of this morning, where examination venues were trashed and buses were forcibly prevented from transporting students to off campus sites, made it clear that if we were to proceed with examinations, the safety and security of our students and staff would be severely compromised."
The university apologised to staff and students for the disruptions caused.
Timetables for the postponed examinations would be published on the university's website in due course, it said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/cput-cancels-exams-due-to-ongoing-unrest-20151123
Lizeka Tandwa, News24
Johannesburg – The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has cancelled exams until further notice due to prolonged protest action.
In a statement, it said there would be no exams at the Bellville, Wellington and Wingfield venues this year.
Final exams at CPUT's Bellville campus, was once again brought to a halt on Monday morning after weeks of unrest.
The institution said exam venues were vandalised on Sunday night.
News24 had earlier reported that the campus had seen weeks of violent protests with property destroyed. This as students demanded the scrapping of their existing debt.
Scores of students have been arrested and charged with public violence. They were scheduled to return to court next month.
“We have been under severe pressure for some time now to postpone examinations. We resisted this as we were aware that the postponement of examinations could have a major impact on the future careers of some of our students," it said.
“We thus explored alternative scenarios including the use of off-campus venues to provide students an opportunity to write either in December 2015 or in January 2016. However, the unfortunate events of this morning, where examination venues were trashed and buses were forcibly prevented from transporting students to off campus sites, made it clear that if we were to proceed with examinations, the safety and security of our students and staff would be severely compromised."
The university apologised to staff and students for the disruptions caused.
Timetables for the postponed examinations would be published on the university's website in due course, it said.
News24
Source
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/cput-cancels-exams-due-to-ongoing-unrest-20151123
