Abolition Of Quota At Oxford Colleges

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28259, 23 April 1957, Page 2

Abolition Of Quota At Oxford Colleges

Man-imposed limits to the number of women undergraduates at the women’s colleges at Oxford were abolished recently, writes Melita Knowles in the “Christian Science Monitor.” Restrictions setting out the ratio of men to women were described as “foolish, out of date, and finicky” by Sir Maurice Bowra, Warden of Wadham College. He was addressing the Congregation of Oxford University which later wholeheartedly supported -the abolition. The quota system meant that of the five women’s colleges, Lady Margaret Hall, Somerville, St. Hugh’s, and St. Hilda’s were not allowed more than 200 undergraduate members while St. Anne’s was allowed 230. The ratio of women to men students had been worked out so that the total number of women was less by 160 than a quarter of the total number of men. The colleges get far more applications than they can accept. Sir Maurice Bowra said he did not know how the figure had been arrived at, and it seemed that women’s colleges today were efficient both from the tutorial and “every other point of view.” The quota therefore was both unjust and troublesome. When he was young, Sir Maurice Bowra recalled, it was considered the sexes must not meet during college days. “All that has changed,” he said. “The relations between men and women have been extremely sensible. They do each other good. There are no disasters and they improve each other’s manners.” The whole status and reputation of the women’s colleges had improved enormously, he said. “The status of the women teachers today is something for which to be grateful. They are overworked and underpaid,” Sir Maurice Bowra said. In short, women had been a civilising influence in university

life and they should be welcomed there.

The earliest discernible petticoat influence at Oxford University made itself felt 90 years ago. In 1866 wives and sisters of professors and lecturers secured permission to attend some of the university lectures, and even organised special classes for women. A more decisive step forward was taken in 1873 when a committee, formed to arrange classes and lectures for women, enlisted th? interest of eminent scholars in the cause of higher education for women. First Great Step The first great landmark came five years later when in 1878 a movement gained ground to bring women to Oxford for study. A meeting of 17 well-known Oxford residents decided to set up in that city a small hall or hostel connected with the Church of England “for the reception of women desirous of availing themselves of the special advantages which Oxford offers for higher education.” This was the foundation meeting of the first women’s college—Lady Margaret Hall. A movement for an undenominational foundation led to the founding of Somerville Hall, now Somerville College, in the same year, 1879. By 1894 all examinations for degrees in the arts and music had been opened to women but separate honours examinations for women were held in English until 1895 and in modern languages until 1904. In 1896 attempts were made unsuccessfully to open the B.A. degree* to qualified women. The turning point came in 1908 with an important letter from Lord Curzon of Kedleston, then Chancellor of the University, in which he strongly urged the granting of degrees to women. By 1920 Convocation without opposition admitted women to matriculation and graduation with full membership> of the university.