Petition · past parliament

Provide grades without exams and assignments for university students- COVID-19

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

After paying over £9k per annum university students should not be asked to sit exams and submit assignments with next to no support during the COVID-19 crisis. Not every student has the facilities to work from home and not every student has a good environment at home to focus on studying.
Taking the best interest of students into account high schools and colleges across the UK have said that amidst this crisis no exams will be sat by students and grades will be provided. We believe we are owed the same curtesy.
University students lack support, guidance, loss of face to face lectures, facilities and supervision and are told to continue as normal. Not taking into account the affect that this issue may have on mental health as well as the results outcome for exams and assignments.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

Decisions about university teaching, assessments and exams are a matter for individual universities, and decisions about university admissions are a matter for individual universities and UCAS, not the UK Government or Parliament.

If you have concerns about admissions you should raise these with UCAS, and if you have concerns about your university's arrangements for teaching and assessment you should raise these with your university or the Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector.

We understand that the current situation is stressful for many people, including students. Student Minds, a mental health charity for students, is collating guidance and developing resources to support students experiencing stress as a result of the current situation, which you may find useful: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

24 Mar 2020 Petition opened for signatures
31 Mar 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 31 Mar 2020

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.