A group from UCD have started a petition to end (or reduce) the 9am lectures, tutorials and exams in third level institutions, starting with UCD.

According to this group 9 am lectures are in violation of the Geneva Convention on Human Rights (Article 24), which states “the right to rest and leisure”. They find timetables in UCD can be highly inconvenient, with a lecture starting at 9am and a 5 or 6 hour break before the next lecture in the afternoon.

The housing crisis in Dublin only amplifies the negative consequences of 9 am lectures. With many students forced to commute to Dublin daily from places as far as Wicklow, Kildare and even Wexford it calls into question the necessity for such an early start. Some of these students will be travelling for 4 hours on any given day.

The students are asking for a ban on 9 am exams and feel it is not an unreasonable request – they are the ones having to wake up early to avoid the morning rush hour traffic and being put under more stress especially during the Christmas exam period with unfavorable weather, which is not conducive to optimal exam performance.

So how can you help their cause? Sign the petition that will be delivered to University College Dublin, President Andrew Deeks and President of the Student Union Conor Viscardi.