This year’s Classics Moderations exams, which began on Monday 3rd March, have been moved to Ewert House in Summertown from the usual Examination Schools. Two students from different colleges independently told Cherwell that Classics faculty tutors said that the exams have been moved in order to avoid disruption from potential Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) protests; however, the University attributed the change to “operational reasons”.
A spokesperson from Oxford University told Cherwell: “For operational reasons, Ewert House will be used for exams taking place in Weeks 7 and 8 of Hilary term. Further exams will take place in the Examination Schools in March, and Trinity term exams are scheduled in both the Examination Schools and Ewert House, as is standard.”
The University also emphasised the fact that Ewert House is used routinely for examinations, with just under 5,000 exam sittings taking place there in 2023/24.
In previous years, Classics Mods were held in Examination Schools. One second year Classics student told Cherwell: “It’s really frustrating that Examination Schools moved our exams with hardly any warning, and on the basis of a supposed protest. It’s made travel to the exam venue much more stressful and expensive than it should have been, especially since I live in Iffley.”
Another Classics student told Cherwell: “The reason for all this venue change is apparently OA4P…It was told to us by someone high up in the faculty verbally [instead of via email], but my whole class can attest to the information being true.”
When protesters occupied a hall in the East School of Exam Schools on 13th June 2024, some exams scheduled to take place that morning were cancelled, and students were advised to “put tissues in [their] ears” by invigilators. OA4P said on the day of the occupation: “the action was unaffiliated with OA4P and was undertaken without OA4P’s knowledge.”
Following the event, the University said: “The University condemns the actions of the seven protesters who invaded the Examination Schools last Thursday. We are extremely sorry for the disruption to students who had an exam cancelled, who had exams affected by noise and delay, and who had to sit exams at alternative locations.”
