Sex segregation at UK universities must end, David Cameron says

 
David Cameron
13 December 2013
WEST END FINAL

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David Cameron today rebuked university bosses for allowing Islamic speakers to segregate audiences by sex.

He called on university chiefs to stop indulging extremists and demanded new guidance be issued “urgently”.

“His view is that universities should take a tough approach and guest speakers should not be allowed to address segregated audiences,” said a Downing Street spokesman. “It is important that Universities UK urgently reviews its guidance.”

Mr Cameron’s intervention came after Education Secretary Michael Gove accused universities of “pandering to extremism” by allowing demands for men and women to be separated. Mr Gove, however, said: “This guidance is wrong and harmful. Universities UK should withdraw it immediately.”

The furore follows women being barred from some lectures or made to sit away from male students. Although a 2008 poll found nine in 10 Muslim students regarded segregation as unacceptable at university, Universities UK has defended it.

UUK chief executive Nicola Dandridge said segregation was not “alien to our culture” and that colleges had to “respect” those who wanted it.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills — which is in charge of universities — said: “We are clear that forced segregation of any kind is never acceptable on campuses.

“The UUK guidance does not promote gender segregation — it gives legal advice to institutions on factors to take into account when making decisions about events.”

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