Disgraceful Guidance By Universities Uk

[LazyGun]

Universities UK have issued guidelines suggesting it is acceptable for gender segregation to be enforced in Universities within the UK - putting the "rights" of religious fundamentalists above gender equality.

This is appalling.

http://www.channel4.com/news/universities-uk-uuk-gender-segregation-demo-protest

[LazyGun]

They are colleges within a University, Milvus - not universities themselves. And,at least where Cavendish was concerned, they were formed with the intention of promoting female attendance at Cambridge.

Probably an anachronism now though, I will concede that...

[Milvus]

LG i accept your point (though a little pedantic) on the collective and not the individual. I'll rephrase "Perhaps the problem would be solved if we had balance. we have female only colleges in universities, why not male only?"

[chrisgel]

To touch on the original post, another thought occurs.
Just how do you think this would have panned out if it were any other type of segregation?
If for example some far right group wanted to hold a debate but wanted racial segregation. What would the guidelines be for that I wonder?
I think it shows that women still have a mountain to climb in this country as far as equality goes and pandering to a religion is not going to help any woman regardless of her beliefs.

[pixie373]

All of our county has single-sex grammar and high schools (all state).

[LazyGun]

@ Pixie They do? Can you say which county?

[woofgang]

but first, you couldn't see where the guidance mentioned it at all....I mean how quickly did you read it?
so you offer 1 men only seat, 1 women only seat and the rest is non segregated. Personally I would be fascinated to see the reaction of the speaker when all the students crowd into the non segregated section.

[pixie373]

In Bucks.

[LazyGun]

@ woofgang Yes, I missed the comment. Thanks for pointing that out.

The point still remains though; UUK are recommending that gender segregation be allowed at the behest of religious organisations. but you carry on being unperturbed about it though, if you want.

I for one do not want to see any appeasement of religious sensibilities in preference to gender equalities in this country in institutions of higher learning.Even with a weak-ass nod to how unappealing gender segregation might be by suggesting that a non-segregated area should be "allowed".

[naomi24]

Whether or not single sex schools and colleges exist in this country is irrelevant. The fact is should students of the opposite sex be invited to a particular event at such an institution - and it happens - the guests would not be segregated from the main stream. Should a speaker wish his audience to be segregated, his invitation should be rescinded instantly. This is a retrograde step and concessions to such requirements should not be considered. They have no place in our society.

[Milvus]

So LG, is your focus on religious segregation of gender rather than just a simple gender segregation, which seems perfectly OK for the female only establishments. I'm in Buckinghamshire like Pixie, we have 14 secondary schools that are girl only. Aylesbury High probably being the leader

[pixie373]

...they do have male-only equivalents, too.

[LazyGun]

@ Milvus. No, I am opposed to all gender segregation, especially in higher learning and especially if based upon a religious agenda.

My opposition to gender segregation applies to single sex schools and single sex colleges at Universities, for that matter.

Are you in favour of gender segregation, Milvus?

[pixie373]

I believe the theory is that girls do better in single-sex schools and boys do better in mixed schools.

[LazyGun]

@ Pixie,Yes, there are studies that suggest that to be the case. But all the schools that participate in such studies are also selective schools. So which is the primary reason for better performance? The gender segregation or the selection criteria of the schools?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/should-we-sound-the-bell-on-singlesex-schools-2367032.html

[joggerjayne]

I went to an all girls school, and boarded.

We had the time of our lives for seven years.

I'd be mortified if they ever had to admit a bunch of snotty, leering, immature eleven year old boys.

Yeesh!

Long live separation.

[pixie373]

It's not the selection process, as that's the same for female-only or male-only schools.

[sandyRoe]

With South Africa in the news today I'm reminded of apartheid, separate development. It wasn't a good idea there and it isn't here in our universities either.

[naomi24]

Sometimes …. only sometimes … am I gobsmacked by what I see defended here. I can understand gender segregation in the changing rooms at the local swimming pool, but on the religious foibles of an invited speaker? I'm flummoxed - but not so flummoxed that I wouldn't tell him to shove off!

Single sex educational establishments is not the issue. People choose their schools and universities. They don't have gender segregation thrust upon them - and that's what is happening here.

Bedtime. Night all.

[LazyGun]

@Pixie Well thats not what the studies suggeset, Pixie. People claim that single sex segregation promotes better performance from the students. But those single sex schools participating in the survey - boys or girls- are selective schools, matched up against co-ed comprehensives. So the selection criteria of the schools will inevitably be a confounding factor in assessing the results. And studies from other countries do not necessarily support the idea that gender selection promotes academic performance.

And for me, schools are not entirely about academic performance alone - they are also meant to prepare kids for adult life. I think there is a debate to be had over whether single sex schools can do that as well as comprehensive schools.

[Milvus]

Not necessarily LG. We still have a legal imbalance in the UK. We can have female only establishments but male only are either disallowed or attacked (e.g. particular golf clubs). We don't yet have a basic inclusive equality, a religion based based request for segregation is a gnats bite on the backside of an elephant compared with the basic legal gender imbalance in the UK