Single-sex institutions turning co-educational: paragraphs 2 and 3.
Effect
878.These paragraphs enable a college which is going through the process of changing from a single-sex to a co-educational institution to apply for a transitional exemption order, to enable it to continue restricting admittance to a single sex until the transition from single-sex is complete.
879.Paragraph 3 sets out the procedures for applying for a transitional exemption order.
Background
880.These provisions are designed to replicate the effect of provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
Examples
If a transitional exemption order is made in accordance with the arrangements in paragraph 3:
A women’s college which decides to become co-educational by starting to admit a certain number of male undergraduates to the first year of its degree courses will not be discriminating unlawfully by limiting the number of men it admits, or by refusing men access to postgraduate degree courses.
A college in the process of becoming co-educational must treat its male and female students equally once they have been admitted, since the transitional exemption order relates only to discrimination in relation to admissions.
