WOMEN AT OXFORD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 7

WOMEN AT OXFORD.

NUMBERS TO BE LIMITED. ] (Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.i LONDON, June 13. n r ii Vo l es . , to , Congregation at Oxford has decided to limit the number of women undergraduates at the university. In future no college, will contain more than 160 students, the maximum total being 620, decided as follows Lady Margaret Hall, 160; St. Hugh’s, 160 Somerville, 150; St. Hilda’s, 150. Hie Principal of Hertford, who presented the case, said the university must be allowed to determine its own’policy and decide what was to be the position between the sexes. They held that the ratio of one woman to every four men was appropriate. It was essential that the matter should be dealt with while the position was manageable. Miss Fry. the Principal of Somerville College, said that women were sick t<j death of discussing the abilities and dis. abilities of their sex. What had women done to make themselves so unpopular? One of the reasons given her by an undergraduate was that women were such ’•beastly swotters” that they raised the standard of tile university examinations. Another reason given was* that the social life of Oxford had changed in a way detrimental to study by tlie introduction ol women. A very great change had certainly come over the social relations of men and women at Oxford, but it was only a faint reflection of the great change which had come over the relations between young men and young women in the whole country since the war. Hiey were trying to stop something - which was too strong for any legislation of this kind. The many parties which went on in Oxford were not due to ths presence of women students. The passing ’ of that statute would not have the effect of lessening of the amount of sociability in Oxford. If women students were banished from Oxford, undergraduates would have no difficulty in finding female companionship of they wanted it. A manifesto signed by the Bishop of Oxford, Sir Michael Sadler, Mr H. A. L. Fisher, Sir Gilbert Murray, the Rev. L. R Phelps, Porvost of the Oriel, and Bishop Shaw, opposed the statute and con-; tended that the growth in the number of women after the war was due to the increased demand for women’s education. Stability had now been attained as far as possible. Women students in residence increased by 239 between 1918 and 1920, by 63 between 1920 and 1922, and 33 between 1922 and 1924. Between 1924 and 1926 the increase had dwindled to seven.