A'dam students frustrated by university's insistence on in-person exams despite lockdown

Despite the hard lockdown implemented on Sunday, thousands of students across the Netherlands still have to go to their university this week to write an exam. Students in Amsterdam are frustrated that the university did not postpone their exams or switch to writing them online. They're worried about getting the coronavirus so shortly before the Christmas holidays, NH Nieuws reports.

According to the regional broadcaster, some University of Amsterdam (UvA) faculties have up to 1,000 students gathered in a building to write exams. And while the exam hall itself takes account of social distancing, students still bunch up in crowds in the halls or at their lockers.

"I'm afraid of getting infected so close to the holiday," law student Meira said to the broadcaster. "That's why I'm letting today's exam pass me by. I'll suffer a study delay. I think that the UvA is taking no responsibility here."

Political science student Erik Sjoers gathered over 3,300 signatures on a petition against compulsory attendance for university exams, but most exams are still being held on location. "I'm afraid that if we physically put a lot of students together in one room, they could contract the virus and give it to their families as a Christmas present," he said to NH Nieuws. 

The UvA did schedule additional resit options to prevent further study delays if students have to quarantine during the exam. But for many students, these resits coincide with exams for other subjects, according to the broadcaster. 

The UvA told NH Nieuws that many students are happy to take their exams on location. "We take extra precautions, such as checking the wearing of facemasks and disinfecting hands before entering."