31 MAY 2003, Page 29

From Mr Christopher James Sir: It is not only over

race and IQ that there may be obfuscation. Men's brains are significantly larger than women's. In fact, research at the University of Ulster some years ago found twice as many IQ scores of over 120 among men than among women. Political pressure for equality of outcome in higher education therefore may lead to discrimination against males; as. arguably, has the feminisation of the school curriculum. In the matter of very high and rare abilities (music. philosophy and mathematics are examples), very few women shine. What would be the loss to English literature of a bonfire of work by women poets or playwrights?

C. James Abergele, North Wales