Today, people are calling a student in South Africa both a hero and a criminal. Why? He stole a school bus -- but for a pretty good reason!

eNews Channel Africa reported on Thursday, Nov. 5 that South African student Le-Aan Adonis arrived at his bus stop to go to school, but his bus driver never showed up to drive him and 11 of his schoolmates to their exams.

Adonis and his fellow classmates just. could. not. miss. that. exam. So, Adonis took the bus keys, turned the ignition and drove it away. Once they all were within spitting distance of their school, the jig was up -- a traffic officer pulled him over and fined him 5,000 rand (a little over $350) for driving without a license or permit. He also faces a disciplinary hearing at his school.

He and his classmates, however, did make it to their exams on time. ?

"I knew the driver wasn't going to [show] up, and then I got into the bus. One boy told me he had to get to school to [take the test] because it was very important to him -- and for me too," Adonis told eNCA news. One of his classmates, Lauren Van Schalkwyk, described him as a "calm and experienced" driver.

Schalkwyk and the rest of Adonis' classmates have been extremely supportive of his decision -- so much that people have offered to pay for his legal representation and have already donated money to pay his fine, too.

The big question here: How much pressure are schools putting on students that stealing a bus seems more feasible than missing (or even being late to) an exam?

Go to eNCA's website to watch an interview with the Adonis himself.