UPNG reschedules semester exams

By NATHAN WOTI
THE University of Papua New Guinea has moved its Semester One examinations to next week after a recent student protest disrupted schedules.
Students boycotted their exams on Monday to protest against the Government’s decision to sign a defence cooperation agreement with the United States of America.
Vice-chancellor Professor Frank Griffin said the majority of the students did not turn up, forcing lecturers not to give out the exam papers.
He said the UPNG senate would decide the fate of the academic year if the protest continued next week.
“If we continue to prolong the exams schedule, it will affect the academic calendar of the university and will cost the management more to extend the calendar,” he said.
“Majority of the students did not turn up for their exams on Monday and we are looking at ways to calm the situation on campus so that we can get the students to do their exams.
“It is unfortunate that the students protested on the same week as their exams were scheduled, but we cannot hold the whole academic calendar for this year at ransom.”
Meanwhile, a circular was put out yesterday in campus stating that exams had been moved to next week.
And if the students still would not comply, the senate would decide whether the academic year should continue.
School representative council president Luther Kissinga said Government officials and Defence Force officers would address the student body to explain the details of the bilateral defence cooperation agreement signed on Monday.