WOMAN MAKES RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 11

WOMAN MAKES RECORD

WORLD'S HARDEST TEST

This year's results of the world's hardest examination—for administrative posts in Whitehall—are full of surprises, states the "Daily Mail." For the first time since women were admitted, in 1925, one has tackled anthropology as a subject, and made a record score. She is Miss Katharine A. Kennedy, one of the four successful women, who won fourteenth place. She took both branches of anthropology—general and special (social and physical). In special anthropology she scored 88 per cent. Among the British candidates no man obtained higher marks, though one, Mr. D. Pointon, I who secured thirty-first place, was awarded the same percentage. The man who won fourth place, Mr. A. W. Snelling, also chose special anthropology out of the optional subjects, and his score was 81 per cent. The examination is concurrent with that for the Indian Civil Service, and the papers are the same. Miss Kennedy beat all the Indian candidates in special anthropology. The Indian who came nearest to her score was awarded 81 per cent, against her 88 per cent. It is a favourite subject with the Indians, being taken by over 200 out of the 238 who competed. Miss Kennedy's selection of anthopology is the more notable inasmuch as it is one of the least popular of all subjects with Englishmen. Among the 50 successful men only four were found to choose anthropology. Out of the total of 253 British candidates it was taken by only 13. In special anthropology the syllabus requires a knowledge of the social organisation of human societies with special reference to the primitive at various stages of development. Miss Kennedy had also to know all about early forms of magico-religious beliefs and ritual in their sociological aspect, ancestor-worship, totemism, conceptions of the soul, eschatology, and beliefs in magic and witchcraft. Women are now tackling all kinds of subjects hitherto regarded as of masculine interest—political theory, economics, ■ mathematics, even logic—but they have broken new ground at this examination and taken up a subject hitherto shunned even by men.