Stellenbosch students forced to choose between exams and yom tov

Jewish students at Stellenbosch University were deeply distressed by having to choose between observing high holy days or writing tests, including on erev Yom Kippur. They say that their desperate pleas to have assessments moved, even by a few hours, fell on deaf ears.

“Stellenbosch University scheduled tests for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year,” says Zianda Goldstuck, a first-year student. “Although the tests were for modules where each student’s two best marks out of three possible tests are used to calculate the final mark, it was concerning that Jewish students would have to forfeit the opportunity to improve their mark or, in some cases, pass the module.

“The university argued that the option of two best marks out of three was intended for this kind of eventuality, but in reality, it limited Jewish students to having to ensure the two tests were successfully written, with no recourse to improve marks or pass failed tests,” she adds. “It seems very unfair to have tests on two of the most important Jewish holidays of the year.”

She said that the South African Union of Jewish Students’ representative, as well as the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) made contact with the university. “However, the university refused to make any accommodations as it claimed that the system of using only two out of the three tests was already an accommodation. It also claimed that it didn’t accommodate any religious holidays for minority religions.”

But after looking into it, Goldstuck found that the university had made accommodations in the past by moving tests or avoiding having tests on certain days. “This underscores the fact that Jewish students don’t get the same opportunities as other students,” she says. “We have to choose between observing religious holidays or our academics. It also seems contradictory that the university is trying to position itself as being diverse, yet refuses to accommodate minority religions. The situation caused a great deal of stress, and I was deeply disappointed in the university’s rigid stance.”

Another Stellenbosch University Jewish student, speaking on condition of anonymity, says, “I was supposed to write on 15 September at 17:30, erev Yom Kippur. This meant that I would have had to start my fast just before my test, and then drive home to Cape Town on Yom Kippur. I tried to write my test early, but the university claimed it was “unable” to make a plan for me.

“I was disgusted,” he says. “What made it worse is that the lecturer completely ignored my email asking him if he would write an exam over Christmas Eve. He just didn’t respond. I lost out on an opportunity to write a supplementary exam – I was basically punished.”

In the end, he chose not to write the exam. “They moved an exam to another day last semester as it was on a Muslim holiday. But they wouldn’t do the same for a Jew. They really could have made a plan. They chose not to because it was a hassle for them,” he says.

Another Jewish student at the university, speaking on condition of anonymity, says she chose to write the exam and not observe Yom Kippur. “I’ve kept Yom Kippur every year since Batmitzvah age. So it was weird not doing it. It’s the most important day of the Jewish year, and I feel like I should have kept it. But I had no choice. I understand that there are many Jewish holidays and it’s difficult to change dates. But Yom Kippur shouldn’t have an exam on it.”

Tzvi Brivik, the chairperson of the Cape SAJBD, told the SA Jewish Report that “students who were affected reached out to their lecturers, the deputy-registrar and registrar requesting alternate arrangements be made for them to make use of this assessment opportunity. The university stated that due to the impact of COVID-19 on the calendar year, and the fact that students were afforded two prior assessment opportunities, it wouldn’t approve the request for alternate arrangements.

“It was at this point that the Cape SAJBD was informed about the matter. We engaged with the affected students, their parents, the university, and the university’s ombudsman. The university maintained that it hadn’t acted unfairly in this matter, as according to its policy, it had offered students two out of three assessment opportunities. We consulted external legal counsel, and were advised not to pursue further action.

“We feel strongly that no student should have to choose between utilising all three assessment opportunities or observing their faith,” he says. “Such policy couldn’t be reasonable and fair. We are encouraged that the university has a new draft proposal for dealing with assessments and religious days (of various religions) and will meet the registrar and deputy-registrar to review this draft proposal and the timetable for 2022 to ensure that no future assessments are scheduled over our yom tov.

“We were informed that the University of Cape Town scheduled tests on yom tov, and that alternative arrangements were made for affected students,” Brivik says.

SAJBD National Director Wendy Kahn says, “The SAJBD assisted students with exams and assessments on chaggim and Shabbat at Wits [University of the Witwatersrand] and Varsity College, and these have been resolved. We have been working closely with Unisa [University of South Africa] in resolving the same situation. At this time, alternate assessments have been arranged for 44 of 72 exams, with 28 to be resolved in coming weeks.”

Stellenbosch University Media Manager Martin Viljoen told the SA Jewish Report that “Stellenbosch University deems the concerns and rights of our various faith communities, including our Jewish student community, in the highest regard. We value and respect our Jewish student community and its holy and spiritual celebrations. The matter concerning the scheduling of tests on major Jewish holidays has thus received the required attention, while further engagements with the SAJBD are scheduled for later this month.”

He says the university didn’t purposefully schedule tests on Yom Kippur. “Due to the shift in the academic calendar, it was a bona fide mistake that this holiday wasn’t on the radar of the scheduling team which normally takes great care not to schedule on religious holidays.

“The assessment periods this year are all condensed because of COVID-19. There are implications for moving any assessment, and scheduling takes approximately four weeks to finalise. Consequently, any change will potentially affect our entire undergraduate and intermediary post-graduate student population,” he says.

“Concerned students were linked to the faculties of law, engineering, and economic and management sciences. After consultation with these faculties and other stakeholders, as well as meetings to consider suitable solutions, our conclusion is that our arrangements for flexible assessments make provision for students to write two out of three assessments,” he says. “This is to allow flexibility for students who fall ill on the day of an assessment, have an emergency or unforeseen delay getting to an exam venue, or have social, cultural, or religious obligations.”

But he says the university has arranged that modules of the faculty of engineering with assessments scheduled for 16 September [Yom Kippur], as well as on a Saturday, be moved to allow for two assessment opportunities. This is because that schedule leaves only one assessment opportunity free for Jewish students.

“The matter of scheduling assessments on religious holidays will be added to the agenda of the relevant academic governance structures to come to an institutional decision,” he says. “This year has brought about many challenges. We ask for your understanding of the limited options given our condensed academic calendar, while we commit to taking this matter forward for an optimal scheduling solution in years to come.”