Women At University

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 12

Women At University

Sir,—Could the University of Canterbury advise how many women there are at the university at present and what faculties they support? What types of school do they come from, co-educational or single-sex, and how many are taking mathematics? I noticed that many women graduated in music last year but very few men. It would seem from my own observations that women still have a natural inclination towards a non-scientific university education. Would Professor Phillips agree?—Yours, etc., E.H. July 10, 1970.

[Professor N. C. Phillips, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, University of Canterbury, replies: “The number of women enrolled as internal students at the University of Canterbury at present is 1952 constituting 28.8 per cent of the total internal roll. They are distributed among faculties as follows: Arts 1445, Science 311, Law 35, Commerce 54, Music 34, Engineering 8, Fine Arts 65. Complete figures of the type of school attended by women students are not readily available, but of those who qualified for entrance at accrediting schools in New Zealand, 43.5 per cent attended co-educational schools and the remaining 56.5 per cent attended single-sex schools. There are 227 internal women students who account for some 282 enrolments in Mathematics classes in 1970; i.e., 11.6 per cent of all internal women students are enrolled in Mathematics. If it is accepted that only Science, Engineering and Forestry courses offer a ‘scientific’ university education, about 84 per cent of all internal women students

might be said to be inclined Howard a non-scientific university education’."]