University students in exams bunching protest

STUDENTS from a leading Scottish university are protesting over their exam timetable arguing it causes stress and can lead to them getting worse results.

The group of more than 1000 students from Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, are calling for the institution to space exams out rather than having them on the same or consecutive days.

The University of Strathclyde Students’ Association (USSA), which is leading the protest, will hand over a petition calling for change to the university’s viceprincipal, Professor Kenneth Miller, later this week.

A survey of students who sat exams in January found half of respondents had experienced two or more exams within a three-day period.

Rebecca Maxwell Stuart, vice-president for education, said: “Not only does exam bunching prevent students from performing at their best, but it can also lead to high stress levels and affects their mental well-being. We hope the university will listen to our students’ concerns.”

A spokesman for the UCU Scotland union, which represents lecturers, called for Strathclyde to listen to the concerns of its students.

“For educational reasons the university should make every effort to avoid exam bunching especially as this has greater impact on those students who the Government are encouraging universities to recruit to widen access,” he said.

A university spokesman said: “The examination schedule is a complex matter involving hundreds of examinations for thousands of students in a short time frame. We look forward to working in partnership with the Students’ Association to optimise the examination timetable.”