Co residence at Oxford
From Miss D. Aide
Sir: I was shocked into stupification by the letter (November 30) headed "CoResidents at Oxford," I am among those women applying to Oxford this year and I have included two mixed colleges in my choices. I do not wish my sex to be made an issue in this and I would hope that my application to such colleges would be considered solely on whatever qualities of mind 1 might possess and not purely to make up numbers. One day I hope there will be equal opportunity for both sexes at Oxford but this change must be gradual, attitudes are plainly too entrenched, Your correspondent makes an issue of "manly environment" and "manly character building sports." The world, sir, is not a monastery and it is my firm belief that universities ought really to be a microcosm of that world. Although I consider rugby a barbarous sport I certainly would not dare interfere with anyone's right to do as they.choose. I have no right to interfere with anyone's life. ntil now 1 have not been a supporter of the aims and aspirations of Women's Liberation, I am beginning to wonder if I should not be.
179 Wilton Rd., Shirley, Southampton
Sir: The unfortunate fact about Mr. O'Brien's letter (November 30) is that much of what he says is true. The majority of students at Oxford are
against any form of co-residence in the university. However, those of us who believe that women are entitled to exactly the same education as men, will continue to strive, against the majority if necessary, to try to create equality. Of course, those in a privileged
position are always in favour of retaining the status quo, but I would have hoped that anyone intelligent enough to be at Oxford, would be able to stand back and see that we may have to give
up a few privileges in order to produce a fair system.
The present co-residence experiment Jesus Plan under which a few colleges are permitted to accept a small quota of women, does very little to improve the situation, and we will not rest until admittance to the university is based on academic merit only, regardless of sex.
I believe that a university is designed to prepare people for the outside world. and so it is essential that it contains men and women living in reasonably close. proximity. At present, Oxford is one of the few places from which a large proportion of students emerge after three years regarding the other sex purely as sex objects. Mr O'Brien claims that this sort or attitude is fostered in a co-residential college, but I would contend that it is at single sex colleges where members of the opposite sex are rarely encountered except in asexual context at parties or discos that these attitudes thrive.
I am not proposing the abolition of single sex institutions in general, but I feel it is wrong for public money to be spent on establishments practicing discrimination. The government does not support racialist regimes, and it • should not support sexist ones either. The correct step for the government to take would be to withdraw its grant to the university until discrimination ceases. Finally, I must admit to some surprise that you print such an attack on those who support co-residence. I have no knowledge of their political or sexual persuasion, but I feel it has very little bearing on the matter.
St Edmund Hall, Oxford. David Rosen
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