Rapid Antigen Test Plus mask wearing Should be mandated For Tertiary students Before exams
University of the South Pacific (USP) and other tertiary institutions need to do all they can to ensure that students sit for their exams. The likelihood that some students may miss their exams because they are unvaccinated is serious and warrants immediate action from the relevant authorities.
At the moment the stakeholders are engaged in verbal exchanges while the unvaccinated students are left in limbo. For many of them they and their parents and families have sacrificed and invested a lot of time, money and resources to enable them to reach this point.
Exams are the highlight of their study year. For some it means they graduate or not and their future hangs on it. They are facing a massive crossroad which will determine what they would become. This is the moment they have dreamed about and worked hard for.
Their future right now is in the hands of the decision makers at USP who have announced that unvaccinated students would not be allowed into the exam hall. It means they will miss out. They claim that this is in line with a directive issued by the Fiji Higher Education Commision. But the commission is understood to have said this claim was not entirely correct - about stopping unvaccinated students from sitting for their exams.
On April 26, the commission issued a statement to all higher education institutions (HEI) titled Resumption Of All Face-to-Face Educational Activities. It said Face-to-Face educational activities could resume and that all venues might operate at full capacity for fully vaccinated individuals.
The statement signed by director Dr Rohit Kishore added: “Following the advice from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, individuals over the age of 18 are to be fully vaccinated to access and u se the HEI premises unless granted an exemption. Please note it is not compulsory for learners below the age of 18 to be vaccinated to access and use the HEI premises. “Wearing face masks and the enforcement of physical and social distancing requirements within the HEI premises is left to the discretion of HEI.
However, the Commission does encourage HEIs to continue to promote COVID-19 safe measures. The Commission also strongly recommends HEIs to ensure that the quality of educational experiences and support for learners is paramount and should not be compromised.
HEIs are encouraged to contact the Commission for any clarification.”
USP’s spokesperson Natasha Begum says USP requires all students entering exam venues to provide proof of vaccination when requested. She said it was in line with the commission’s advice.
But there is no explicit reference about banning unvaccinated students from sitting their exams.
There is a way out to resolve this impasse.
All students, vaccinated or otherwise, should go through the RAT before the exam. If they test negative they must wear a mask going into the exam hall. Some people who have been vaccinated have tested positive in the past so no chances should be taken.
What about students sitting exams online. Do they need vaccination? Obviously not. That could be another alternative for the unvaccinated students.
Whatever happens, let’s look at avenues to avoid penalising students unfairly and unnecessarily especially when they were warned only one week before the exams. They should have been given adequate notice. Let’s hope good sense prevails.
Feedback: nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj