RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 10

RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES

WOMEN STUDENTS BARBED. A most . interesting article'. in', the "Queen" tells of. the struggles, made by Russian l women ever ! since' the year 18G1' to obtain admission -to the universities; their, brief success, anil, later disappointmerit. It began in 18(51 with 'an effort to obtain admission as "hearers'' to' the lecturo rooms of/ the •' University of St. Petersburg. : Nothing resulted from "the movement; but the question of'providing women ..with a- higher, education became yearly a more vital one, as numbers of girls belonging to the poorer "gentry and to the professional .classes were driven to seek it as a means of; support. The definite start, made several years later, arose out of the Congress of Naturalists, held in 18G8, when a petition to tie Go-, vcrnment .for facilities for a .better. education was drawn up andsigned by four hundred women, and Count Tolstoy, the Minister of Public Instruction, gave; permission for evening classes, which could be -held : by -university- professors; 'and" which students of both sexes might-at-tend on payment of a-small fee. As these classes conferred" no diplomas and gave no academic' status.: the' women again petitioned for a'thoroughly;'organised women's college. Later., a- society was form-' ed to organise'lecture?; in :seiepce,-history, and philology,; arid,, to.-. thisVpfofessors at Moscow, and- St. gave ; magnificent help,' I l&tnririg to. the women. when'-their own"' hard; day*J work was done. '.Nihe.' hundred'women': attended the'jlechires'.in : tho.first ;'year,' but' severaLyears.later.-.by. order of the Government,'/these' wei-e'"'stopped.. Finally, a disaffection- spread through the universities, ' and there were riots and revolts of the students on: account of many grievances. -v'-V'■

On September 8,.1905; the Emperor gave way-and granted'.'autonomy to the , university, -vrith'■ tho,'power to-..chdoso their own rectors 'and toehold meetings within their walls. One ofstheir first acts was the : admission of women.'. Now that they had attained Hife*tgoal : '-.of their ambitions Kussian women-werp not slow to, avail; themselves of r- their V new and over two thousand, . at" 1 once began to study attho universities.';: For a year ill 'went; fwoll. They': passed'.-'their . examinations in 1907;;-' successfully,; some doing remarkably: welly; .was acknowledged that both'the moral and intellectual atiaosphereVqf-the'-universities: had improved since their: admission; In 1908 M. Kanfmann was'-'succeeded as Mini-, ster of Education, by M.. Schwarz, a wellknown to the-cause of women's higher : education. On- May i2l the blow fell.. A ' circular was' issned;in -which all women wore expelled on the' plea that as they were .forbidden to serve; the State .they had'ho business in. the universities. At that-time the number of women studying in tho.universities of the 2130. Mis was 1 crushing, but" the - students not; going to take the blow lying down. -The Kussian Women's Union took up their cause, and sent a circular to'all the ; well-known. professors, with a request to - answer the following ' questions: (1) Have / the women, students proved themselves sufficiently, prepared to follow the university, courses? (2) Have they shown diligence in their work? (3) Have. the; results Vof - their : examinations -been, satisfactory? (4) Do you ;consider their admission to the universities' desirable?.' •/;A 'large , number of - answers ivero received!' 5 Very: few- replied in the.negative' .f-tov the first ;,-and fourth questions, - while with, - one;'• .exception . all:. answered the second■ andthird in the affirmative. The letters were interesting^!'Many .of the professors expressed thelr'-'admiration of >theVwomen's (levotioh to their' studies.. Their,; practical, work had-been uniformly on a high level, and in. some - cases was - brilliant, v-whilo several of their -scientific, were' worthy;.of a place I 'in'the best scientific reviews.' .'The professors considered -that tho presence of women atthe;.-universi-ties was, on the whole, beneficial to the' men. The Minister,'! for Education was' pressed on? alliysidesyi and 'fthere i-wasi;, a ! chorus of disapproval. Some rff !his col-, leagues were strongly opposed to his. action, and in favour' of the women's demands. The prohibition - caused general Indignation throughout', the ;i 'cbuntry.;'the press supported tlie'.Tvomon'as far as possible; the.' universities; sent "up. stronglyworded • protests, . and ■ a. 1 most 'dignified remonstrance, was addressed to the llin-' i6ter -by the women themselves;; ; All was in vain. The utmost concession that could be obtained iwas: the 1 permission' to those who : .>)'ere; already studying to 'finish their, course. ..And here, -the matter now rests. ,;V

; Thus; after years of heroic; effort, withliopo deferred again'and'yet">gaiii;:'after i>. ' well-deserved victory :and a ..brief "andbrilliant sojourn in 'the .Promised Land, . Russian women have been' cast out of the universities 'of •' their 'country • merelythrough the lyhim "of :a: reactionary^Mmr ister,' and v .in'spito of iraiversal.tcstimony.to: their capacity arid Uhe justice of.their. claims;";- 1 There-/ is- something .> absolutely tragic in their struggles,-, and-the.'-.way: in'which they are',persevering-fai tlie. face ; of' difficulties - which would prove -oyer-. whelming 'to' less ai'dent. enthusiasts'.is .a. testimony ■to the! ability,-.,courage, and organising' power . of' the- leaders. It. is difficult to see 'what-;can : ,bo . gained ...by , the action of the Government,, and there is much : to :loso.; .-The: desire -for.lniow-. ledge among Russian women is insatiable, and will not be stamped, out -by arbitrary, laws...: Many. -are starving themselves iTO obtain it. They .-.are now. flocking, to' foreign universities, all," of' which contain, more-Eussian -students than- pf any .other alien nation. : .They- will,return .to. .their' native' "land with foreign degrees; and indignation ■ in their : hearts*-against a Government which is treating. them so unjustly. They, will.' join -.the .ranks -of the diSaEected, where their learning and the: knowledge' .they ; have acquired : -'in other.Uands' .will. .them'in ..good, stead, hnd they will prove a, thom in' tho' side of every. Government , until''it altersits'attitude towards them. I ',: Vr;