Exams scheduled for next week have been postponed by the University of Cape Town‚ Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price said today.
“The situation at UCT and on all the country’s campuses is critical and without precedent. It calls for unprecedented action‚” he said in a statement.
Saying‚ “the objective must be to ensure access to higher education”‚ Price said UCT would meet this weekend to find a way of ensuring zero-fee increases for next year.
He also criticised the police use of stun grenades against students at parliament yesterday.
“I appeal to the state to act with restraint. I subscribe fully to the statement of the President of Convocation‚ Dr Barney Pityana‚ who made the point this morning that there can be no justification for the excessive use of force … As he put it: this brought shame to every South African”.
Price confirmed his attendance at the meeting called by President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria tomorrow‚ saying UCT “will demand decisive state intervention to ensure that students in need do not face a fee increase in 2016”.
“The University Council will meet this weekend after the meeting with the president and his ministers‚ and I will put to it proposals aimed at ensuring that students in need do not face a fee increase in 2016. UCT’s comprehensive financial aid package for students in need remains in place.”
The university will remain closed tomorrow. A new date for the exams that were due to start on 27 October will be set in consultation with staff and students‚ Price said.
Yesterday‚ a secret exam staged by UCT accounting students and lecturers at Newlands cricket stadium was disrupted by protesters.
E-mails were sent out to the students via their class communications tab advising them to keep the exam plan on the “down low” so that the word didn’t get out to protesters. One of the students — who spoke on condition of anonymity — said that soon after the exam commenced yesterday morning‚ it was interrupted and they were asked to leave due to concern for their safety.
Their exams were postponed until further notice.
The class of over 350 students was meant to write four exams in preparation for the National Board Exam.
Students at universities around the country have been protesting due to proposed hikes in 2016 university fees.
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