2 Exams In A Row, No Adequate Classroom Cooling, Student Laments

A student took to local social media page ‘Are You Being Served ? (Malta & Gozo) Original’ to discuss an issue being faced by students sitting for their A-Level and Intermediate resits: the extreme heat in inadequately ventilated and cooled classrooms.

‘Yesterday, I sat my Systems of Knowledge (SOK) examination at Junior College’, wrote the student. ‘There were around 25 students in a relatively small classroom, with only four small wall-mounted fans, which were simply not enough to reduce the heat.’

‘The conditions became so difficult that I had to leave the classroom and go to the toilet to splash water on my face because I started feeling dizzy and could no longer concentrate on the examination.’

‘Unfortunately, I experienced the same problem again today during another examination at St Aloysius College. It is unacceptable for a student to be sitting an important examination and, because of the heat and the lack of adequate ventilation or air conditioning, be unable to concentrate properly and perform to the best of their ability. It is also worth mentioning that four other students experienced the same problem.’

The student called upon MATSEC to review its choice of venues and scheduling during extreme weather. Students should not have to sit for two important exams in a row when conditions are already making it more challenging.

‘Finally, I would like to thank all the invigilators for the assistance they gave me throughout these circumstances.’

#MaltaDaily