阅读理解ItwasasimpleletteraskingforaplacetostudyatScotland'soldestuniversitywhichhelpedstartarevolutioninhighereducation.A140-year-oldletterwrittenbyaladycallingfor
阅读理解
ItwasasimpleletteraskingforaplacetostudyatScotland'soldestuniversitywhichhelpedstartarevolutioninhighereducation.A140-year-oldletterwrittenbyaladycallingforhertobeallowedtostudymedicineatStAndrewsUniversityhasbeendiscoveredbyresearchers.WrittenbySophiaJex-Blakein1873theseven-pagedocumentwhichurgedtheuniversitytoallowwomentostudymedicineattheinstitutionwasreleasedyesterdayonInternationalWomen'sDay.
Thedocumentwasdiscoveredburiedintheuniversityarchives(档案)bypart-timehistorystudentLisSmithwhoiscompletingherPhDatStAndrewsInstituteofScottishHistoricalResearch.Shesaid:“WeknewthatSophiaJex-BlakeandhersupportersintheirefforttoopenupuniversitymedicaleducationforwomenhadwrittentotheSenatusAcademicus(校评议委员会)atStAndrewsinanattempttogainpermissiontoattendclassestherebutwedidn'tknowdocumentaryevidenceexisted.Whilesearchingthearchivesforinformationabouttheuniversity'shighercertificateforwomenIwasastonishedtocomeacrosswhatmustbetheveryletterJex-Blakewrote.”
IntheletterSophiaandhersupportersofferedtohireteachersorbuildsuitablebuildingsforamedicalschoolandtoarrangeforlecturestobedeliveredinthesubjectsnotalreadycoveredatStAndrews.AlthoughherletterwasnotsuccessfuliteventuallyledtotheestablishmentoftheLadiesLiterateinArtsatStAndrewsadistance-learningdegreeforwomen.Thequalificationwhichranfrom1877untilthe1930sgavewomenaccesstouniversityeducationinthedaysbeforetheywereadmittedasstudents.ItwassopopularthatitsurvivedlongafterwomenwereadmittedasfullstudentstoStAndrewsin1892.
MsJex-BlakewentontohelpestablishtheLondonSchoolofMedicineforWomenin1874.ShewasacceptedbytheUniversityofBernewhereshewasawardedamedicaldegreeinJanuary1877.EventuallyshemovedbacktoEdinburghandopenedherownpractice.
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