Second year students of the Department of Psychology of the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, have protested against what they called the insufficient time allocated for a test. JOSHUA OBELLE (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.
•HOD: they’re unruly
Psychology students of the Benue State University (BSU) in Makurdi, last Saturday, complained about what they called their lecturers’ penchant for allocating “insufficient time” for continuous assessment quiz.
Their complaint followed a PSY 205 test organised for 200-Level students. The students moved round the campus, protesting the clash of the test time with other activities.
The students trooped out of the venues of the test to demand its cancellation.
It was gathered that the test was fixed for 7am at the New Lecture Theatre but was moved to another venue, because 300-Level students from some departments were using the venue for Entrepreneurship Studies (EPS) test scheduled to hold at the same time.
The students were asked to move to the Department of Chemistry Hall, which was occupied by another set of students who were also writing a test. The Psychology students were, again, moved to Lecture Rooms (LR) 10A and 10B.
Frustrated, the students threatened to eject their senior colleagues from the previous hall, but one of them, Joshua Tarbunde, called for calm, urging them not to take the laws into their hands.
It was gathered that the test was eventually held in LR 10A and 10B. But the exercise was described as irregular because the two lecture rooms could not contain all the students.
“Since the lecture rooms could not contain all of us, the rest of us were taken to LR 10B. The students in LR 10A were the last to start after a series of delay,” Joshua said.
According to him, the test was supposed to last for 30 minutes but the students in LR 10A did not spend up to 10 minutes before their answer booklets were collected.
Joshua added: “We started the test before those in LR 10A. To our surprise, everybody was told to submit at the same time. Our colleagues in LR 10A did not spend up to 10 minutes before their answer scripts were collected.”
This was followed by disorderliness in LR 10A, which scared the invigilators. The angry students moved to the department in protest.
They chanted protest songs as they moved to their department, demanding the cancellation of the test. The incident caught the attention of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) and its officials identified with the demonstrators.
A student, who refused to give his name, said he was not happy with the development, noting that he read all night to prepare for the test, only to be denied appropriate time to write it.
He said: “I am not happy with what is happening in my department. Whenever we are writing test or examination, our lecturers usually take abnormal decisions by not giving us enough time to answer questions. I spent the whole of Friday night preparing for this test. Yet, they did not allow us to write our names before they told us to submit. They must cancel it.”
Another student, who gave his name as John, said he was able to finish but said he was not happy, because many of his colleagues could not write anything.
“I was in LR 10B and I finished before the time. But, I am not happy that other classmates were not given time. We are all mates and there should be a level playing field for everyone.”
The Head of Psychology Department, Dr Grace Awoputu, who gave the test, defended the invigilators’ decision, saying it was as a result of some students’ “unruly behaviour”.
She said: “Some of your colleagues don’t have good manners and home training. I am disappointed in all of you today. It was as a result of the unruly behaviour you displayed that made the invigilators to take the decision. I am not happy. We want to train you not only in academics, but also in character. Even if anything is bothering you, there is a manner you present yours grievances.”
Awoputu said she would not cancel the test, but said students, who wrote in LR 10A, would be considered to re-take the test.