UCL recognized the importance of providing women with opportunities to study science, highlighting a shift in educational norms. Skinner remarked to Humphry that a good Fabian should prioritize his daughters' education as much as his sons'. In response, Humphry noted that his daughters, Dorothy and Griselda, were still very young, yet Skinner pointed out that they would soon grow into young women.

This conversation prompted a change in Dorothy's demeanor as she felt a new awareness of herself. Griselda expressed her belief that her parents did not see the need for her education, but Skinner countered, asserting that her desire for knowledge was reason enough to pursue it. This exchange underscores the emerging perspectives on women's roles and education during that era.