For all students at King’s College London, this academic year has been highly disruptive. A lot of first year students have especially suffered from the unfortunate poor communication. While being sympathetic to administrator’s situation, without clear government instructions, we have to think about our own situation and that of our peers.

The recent pension strikes combined with the Covid-19 crisis, have left a lot of students confused. The Covid-19 crisis has forced students to quickly move from London to respective homes. Some students left during the strikes, without textbooks, not able to get back to the UK get them. Other students are stuck across the world, not able to cross other countries’ boarders to get to their own. 
Many have been placed in quarantine and many are sick. As young and healthy, a lot of students are working with their communities to help the elderly and sick. Many people are currently volunteering, and have very little free time. Others, like Spanish or Italians, are constantly suffering in very unsafe countries, with a constant anxiety for themselves and loved ones. 

To have exams and summative essays, without having had any of the last quarter of the semester, will prove to be very difficult for very many of your students. First years have little experience with summative assessments, and are disadvantaged.

COVID-19 is now of a grave nature all across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Anxieties for loved ones, volunteering, maybe losing someone, and getting sick yourself; these are all concerns your students are facing, and that will make educational assessments seem of very little importance.

Not to mention the unequal nature of such take home assessments. The privileged, with parents that have legal education, will be extremely advantaged with these assessments. It leads to a feeling of helplessness for a lot of students that have worked hard to get out of their parents’ footsteps, who will now be at an extreme disadvantage. If KCL absolutely have to assess at the moment, it should at least be on a pass/fail basis.  

University College London took action the 20th of March to cancel all first year assessment. This move has been made because of the ongoing confusion that strikes and the Covid-19 virus have caused. First year undergraduates are hit the hardest. We are asking KCL to take action and follow UCL's policy. 

We are living in an extreme crisis. We are asking you to please, please do the right thing. Don’t be a enormous burden on already suffering youth. Don’t hold people from helping their communities. If the assessments go through, students will have to retire from volunteering at the health centers in their communities to focus on our studies. People will suffer from this. Please, do the right thing.

Thank you for listening. Please take it into consideration.