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Month: February 2019

Ex-Manchester professor charged over racial abuse of neighbour

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in News.

A former University of Manchester professor has been convicted of a hate crime, after verbal slurs made towards his German neighbour.

Dr John Smart, 72, formerly lectured in mechanical engineering at the University of Manchester. The professor was convicted of two charges of racially aggravated harassment at Stockport Magistrates’ Court.

Smart was ordered to pay a £1,290 fine, £250 compensation, and £689 in court costs. He was also barred from making any contact with his victim, through the conditions of a restraining order, as handed down by the court.

In a range of incidents between April 22 and July 4 last year, the retired professor made reference to his neighbour in a racially-abusive way. On one such occasion, while walking to a nearby Waitrose supermarket to buy a newspaper, the 72-year old reportedly remarked, “You’re that German, why are you still here, go back.”

At a later point, while passing her home, Smart asked again, “Are you still here?”

The victim of the attacks described her ordeal with Dr Smart: “There was no need for someone overstepping the mark in a situation where emotions shouldn’t be high. The gentleman continued to walk down the road and then stopped briefly and said something like ‘you’re obnoxious, go back’.

“At that point I was beginning to shake. I was getting very agitated and having shakes. I made it back into the house and came down into a crying fit. I called the police once I’d calmed myself down who came and took my statement.”

Dr. Smart denied any wrongdoing in court, saying that although the pair exchanged words, he could not remember what had been said.

Prosecutor Lynn Rodgers undermined Smart’s defence however, saying: “What she doesn’t expect is to be in her garden and being polite to people passing by, to be then racially abused. It’s a curveball that’s come at her.”

Photo: The Mancunion.

Mansion Point and the changing face of student accommodation

Written by Felix Hanif-Banks on . Posted in Investigations.

Fresh new halls are filling the huge void left by the emptying of the Owens Park Tower at the start of this academic year.

Mansion Point is the latest of these additions to Fallowfield life, offering a renovated Allen Hall, the old postgraduate accommodation on Wilmslow Road, from the beginning of next academic year.

It’s been bought by the Cheadle-based Mansion Group for nearly £5m which is reconfiguring the site and increasing capacity from 124 beds to more than 200.

The University of Manchester objected to the project saying it was concerned about the over supply of student accommodation at a time of falling demand.

It told the council that bed spaces were still available at the start of the 2018-19 year at a number of centrally-located student blocks.

According to a document prepared for Mansion Group in late 2017 there are about 23,600 student beds in Manchester, with 60% controlled by the universities. The rest is in private hands.

Manchester is the fourth location for Mansion after Durham, Newcastle, and Leeds. Mansion Point will be its most expensive offering with the cheapest accommodation priced at £135 a week.

In line with other private accommodation in Manchester such as iQ, Mansion Point is promising a wide range of facilities such as a cinema room, pool table, TVs for each flat, and a promise of greater security.

Given recent reports that Withington is victim to the most burglaries in Manchester, students will undoubtedly flock to those newer developments that claim to guarantee better safety, but those students who don’t want to, or are unable to pay out vast sums for shiny, new accommodation, face being priced out of student halls if current trends continue.

Mansion Point’s price puts it roughly on par with the University’s own Richmond Park, but there’s a shortage of affordable housing for first-year students. An Oak House room without a basin is still available for £99 a week, up slightly on previous years, but there are no more sub-£100 rooms on the market.

Less affluent students have no stake in these new developments and it’s clear they’re not the intended audience; pricier halls can only lead to wealthier students, and this takes away from the diverse and pluralistic place that university, especially in Manchester, should be.

The University’s new development, Unsworth Park, follows a similar path. Due to be completed for next academic year next to the current Richmond Park, Unsworth is being marketed to an upper echelon of students.

Student accommodation is a critical issue and mirrors in many ways the fabric of Fallowfield and other student areas.

Increased privatisation leads to residents and students having a smaller say in what form the local area takes in the future, and higher prices only seeks to alienate large quantities of people who would otherwise be welcomed into Fallowfield or its neighbouring areas. Mansion Point may be offering slick stylish living, but this all comes at a great cost.

The Lion for Change: Recognising the power of adverts

Written by Aisha Al-Janabi on . Posted in Opinion.

Watching TV means that every 15-minutes there’s an interruption from a stream of advertisements, which collectively makes up a large portion of our viewing experience. I tend to roll my eyes at the awkward perfume adverts, but there are occasionally ones which do engage me.

Gillette recently revealed their advert on toxic masculinity which gained a lot of publicity through re-tweeting and sharing the video on a myriad of social media platforms. I never thought I would go out of my way to watch an advert, but I did, along with many others with the video reaching more than 4 million views in the first 48-hours of its release, according to a report by The Guardian. This more socially aware advert was a change from Gillette’s usual marketing, whilst this was something I welcomed, it was also met with fistfuls of negative comments.

An issue repeatedly raised with the Gillette advert appeared to be that brands do not have a role to play in social activism. However, as adverts are easily accessed by those with TVs, this wide-reaching capability should be used to engage the audience and start conversations around topics effecting our society and normalise these; like women with hairy armpits, men doing the dishes and multi-ethnic families.

The legendary John Lewis Christmas adverts show that advertising can involve beautiful forms of storytelling that results in emotional responses that are beyond – and in addition to – a desire to buy what is being marketed. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity showcases branded creative communications and celebrates innovative advertisements.

The festival has several categories which can be entered, one of which is The Lion for Change focusing on how adverts can create positive social change. The 2018 winner of this category was from Libresse, known as BodyForm in the UK, a sanitary products company. The brand released their #BloodNormal campaign with the intention to normalise periods and remove the stigma surrounding them. The advert acknowledges that period cramps exist and hurt, it shows a man buying pads and is the first TV advert to depict period blood as red, and not blue as is normally the case. Despite having a period, I must admit I initially found this uncomfortable to watch but is precisely why the advert is needed. Many women are still made to feel ashamed and dirty of menstruating, but through explicitly showing this in an advert and celebrating it makes these topics unavoidable and will hopefully shatter the taboo surrounding them. The Cannes Lions Festival will be in June this year, and I’m unexpectedly excited to see what advertisements will be celebrated. Having this festival and giving recognition through awards encourages brands to continue to make engaging and progressive content, despite the negative backlash because it will come along side support.

There is still a lot of development to be made in branded communication, but there is certainly a shift in the right direction, and an increased pressure on brands to be socially responsible and engaging.

Photo: Karl-Ludwig Poggemann @Flickr

Manchester’s employment level to surpass London’s following Brexit

Written by Aya-Zoe Atallah on . Posted in News.

A study by law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research predicts an increase of 1.5% in employment levels in Manchester between July and September.

At the same time last year, the number of employed persons was around 467,900. This amount is predicted to increase to 470,000 this year, according to the economic report. Manchester’s GVA is predicted to remain the same as the previous year, staying stable at 1.4%.

Although the city’s economy has recently been impacted by a failure in areas such as car sales and manufacturing, it is still set to surpass London’s employment growth towards the end of the year. In the North West, the study claims Manchester as the most rapidly-growing Powerhouse city.

Manchester has relied on the success of young, online businesses like retail company boohoo.com and electronics provider AO.com. Other businesses involved in software development and the internet also contribute to the city’s promised success.

The news comes after insecurity surrounding Brexit negotiations and discussions regarding the possible impact on the UK’s economic stability. Coming up to the 29th March, the date set for the UK to leave the European Union, concern has been raised in regards to economic growth.

A partner at Irwin Mitchell, Roy Beckett, addresses this worry by adding: “Although the report says that the economy will grow more slowly following Brexit, there are some positive signs in relation to employment levels.”

Beckett acknowledges the challenges but also reassures the public with the possibility for “many opportunities” following the slow progression directly after the exit date.

However, the study reported that no Northern cities would occupy the top 10 spaces in the list of economic growth up until the third quarter. Beckett said, “We are working hard with our clients to support them and provide proactive advice so that they are well-prepared for the future.”

Photo: Save Our Staff MCR

SU branded ‘unhelpful’ for failing to support NSS boycott

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union (SU) has been branded ‘unhelpful’ for refusing to support a boycott of this year’s National Student Survey. This is despite the SU being democratically mandated to do so via an active senate motion.

Save Our Staff, the society which supports striking lecturers and campaigns against the marketisation of further education, has told The Mancunion that a neutral stance by the SU means that a third University of Manchester boycott of the NSS would be “ineffective”. They also argue that without the SU on board, students “won’t know the extent of the problems associated with the NSS.”

For the last two years, the Students’ Union (SU) has either discouraged final-year students from filling in the survey or actively engaged in an attempt to boycott the NSS. It’s previously been argued that the results from the student survey are used as part of a framework that “legitimises the increase of tuition fees”, making it a target for groups that campaign against the marketisation of education.

This year, the Students’ Union changed tact and have taken a neutral stance on the survey. This has been seen by some as inconsistent with a policy passed by Senate, the highest decision-making body in the SU, which commits the SU to support a boycott of the NSS until 2020.

Hufi Neibig, President of Save Our Staff (SOS) said: “As a group, we would like the SU to support a pro-active boycott of the NSS because it’s damaging, its results are used against students and we believe a boycott can only be effectively carried out with the support of the SU.”

The SU argue that a link between the NSS and tuition fees is no longer existent and that the mandate was based on a policy position that no longer exists. Even though Manchester SU claim that a link no longer exists, Cambridge University Students’ Union – who have typically been seen to have led the campaign against the NSS – are boycotting the survey for a third year in 2019.

Olivia Meisl, the SU’s Education Officer who is listed as ‘responsible’ for the policy proposal committing the SU to support a boycott said: “We were mandated to boycott based on the policy position at the time, and this situation has changed completely.”

Olivia told The Mancunion that after the first successful NSS boycott, the TEF, the body in charge of grading the quality of universities — and indirectly affecting how much they can charge — reduced its reliance on the NSS survey by 50%.

She added: “Last year, the Exec resolved to carry on the policy as the link between the TEF and fees still existed, but the boycott was unsuccessful. This year, the Augar review has been commissioned to look at reducing the undergraduate fee, and the link between raising fees and the TEF has been totally severed. The situation is entirely different from when this policy was first passed.

“We have many other important campaign priorities this year which are time-bound, such as reclaim the night’s aim of restoring a sexual violence support unit, better buses transport campaign, Augar review into fees and funding of universities, and the place of international students following Brexit.”

The SU’s executive officers stress that despite not campaigning for a boycott, they are no way promoting the NSS and ultimately still believe it is a flawed metric.

As well as supporting an NSS boycott, the primary aim of SOS is to “stand in solidarity” with striking staff and let staff who are contemplating striking know that they have student support.

The University and College Union (UCU) is currently balloting members for strike action regarding the gender pay gap, insecure contracts, excessive workloads and the supposed falling value of pay. The ballot, which closes on February 22nd, needs a turnout of at least 50% before action can be taken.

Last week, SOS passed a motion at Senate committing the SU to support a ‘yes’ vote in the UCU ballot for strike action, it passed with 73% of attendees in favour. The SU will now write a letter to the vice chancellor demanding an improved pay offer of 7.5%.

Hufi Neibig added: “We’ve been emailing our lecturers and teaching staff to let them know that if they were to vote for strike action, they can expect student solidarity. We would get together and support them.

“We’re not pro-strike, the main thing we always say is that striking is a last resort, it’s not something staff or students want but it’s just about communicating that it might be necessary and we will do what we can to bridge the gap between students and staff.”

N Chadwick @geograph

Construction crisis in Manchester City Centre

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in News.

Manchester Councillors are trying to figure out how to handle the disruptive side-effects of ongoing construction work in Manchester City Centre.

With over 60 major developments currently processing, city centre roads are set to close for years on end, with councillors seeking advice as to whether developers can be forced to re-open streets that have been indefinitely stopped up.

The problem lies in the fact that after paying a one-off £4,000 sum, there is “no restriction” on how long developers can keep roads shut, according to Miles Platting and Newton Heath Councillor John Flanagan.

The topic was discussed at a public neighbourhoods committee meeting, where attendees made it clear that they remained frustrated by the role of developers in creating a gridlock in the city centre.

Deansgate Councillor William Jeavons is fighting to restrict the gridlock, saying that the prolonged inconvenience caused by the property firms is “disingenuous to the people that live in this city.”

With a further 68 developments just around the corner, Councillor Jeavons is concerned about the impact that not only Deansgate, but the whole of Manchester, will feel in the coming months.

Although it is evident that the issue is being addressed, there is still “room for improvement” in the eyes of Director of Highways Steve Robinson.

This suggests that the problem of gridlocked traffic and shut-off roads, such as Liverpool Road and Quay Street, will not disappear in the forthcoming future.

City Centre residents and students alike will have to bear the brunt of stop-and-start buses, constant construction noise, and unfinished eye-sores, for the imminent future at least.

Photo: Esther Vargaras @ Flickr

Facebook vs The Law

Written by razansamkari on . Posted in Opinion.

Facebook – the world’s largest social networking company, with over 2.3 billion members, was accused of  breaching of data privacy throughout 2018.

Cambridge Analytica, a data-driven political consultancy firm, used the personal information of millions of Facebook users without permission to directly influence political campaigns, powering Trump and Leave.EU to success.

The story damaged Facebook’s reputation – #deletefacebook gained traction for a time – but user numbers and profit continue to rise. Profits topped £17bn last year, up nearly 40%.

The share price did sink by 30%, and it suffered the largest one-day loss in value ever in July – £100bn – but this reflected investor unease over slower growth, rather than privacy concerns.

The scandals have not put off advertisers, but they have increased calls for regulatory action, which could have a debilitating effect on Facebook’s ability to generate profits.

Founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was summoned to Congress, but has refused to speak to MPs in this country. Many other countries have threatened a clampdown.

So far the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office – a public body which protects personal data – has fined Facebook £500,000 over Cambridge Analytica.

That was the maximum possible under old data protection laws. New EU-wide rules are much tougher, allowing a fine of 4% of global turnover. Facebook’s revenues were about £46bn last year so that could mean a fine of about £190m.

This scandal proves that centralisation of the internet on a few highly influential websites grants companies almost unconstrained power, beyond the control of many countries’ legal systems. This manipulation of everyday people may create profits for Facebook, but it harms wider society.

This is becoming a central question of jurisprudence in the modern day: the idea that social media and the internet wield such power between them that they cease to be answerable to legal or political systems.

Many questions arise in consideration of Facebook’s seemingly unrestrained power. Facebook now operates with an annual revenue about the same size as the entire economy of countries like Lithuania, Croatia or Ghana.

It is a terrifyingly enormous financial entity, and it looms on the social horizon. Does its power amount to that of a nation-state in terms of the global order? If so, what is its role? D

Does it have a responsibility to users in the way that government do to their citizens? And should it be accountable to them in the way a democratic government should be? In order for Facebook to exist in a healthily functioning democracy, these questions regarding its regulation and supervision must be addressed.

Mark Zuckerberg’s US Congress appearance demonstrated that lawmakers clearly do not comprehend how these companies operate, particularly in regards to issues of privacy. Technology is developing increasingly rapidly and the law must work with IT specialists to ensure that our legal frameworks move with the times to match these advancements.

This could be either by establishing a legal panel specialised in IT developments and regulations, such as computer engineering advancements, or an impartial governmental supervisory body of data security protection and breaches to bridge the gap.

Massive social networks like Facebook must be regulated by the legal system; they have proven they cannot be trusted with handling personal data. Currently, these private companies are taking advantage of out of date laws to generate profits by stealing people’s data and undemocratic political intervention. Lawmakers must stop being so oblivious and catch up with modern technology.

Photo: UoM Powerlifting Society

Squat, bench, deadlift: Meet the Powerlifting Society

Written by Amy Wei on . Posted in Sport.

Strength sports aren’t quite as established at the University of Manchester as those involving balls, mouth guards, and batting devices — nor are its needs as accounted for by the University — but the new Powerlifting Society hopes to change that.

Founded by a group of passionate powerlifters at the beginning of this academic year, the society aims to one day form a team of male and female lifters to compete in University Championships, something the University of Manchester has never attempted.

They started off with a more local focus on community, hosting taster sessions for people of all abilities, and socials to introduce more students to the sport. They’ve nurtured an impressively warm, supportive, and wide community already, especially for an individual sport.

Eduard Krkoska, who recently won his first bronze medal in a regional competition in November, said: “We try to be extremely supportive of everyone. We’ll often train together with the most experienced members and the least experienced members, training harmoniously and always pushing each other to be the best powerlifters we can each be.

“I feel like you won’t get that with most sports, where they’ll divide people according to ability.”

Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three maximal attempts on three lifts: a squat, bench press, and deadlift. Megan Cotcher, a senior member of the society, only started lifting competitively a year ago, but now holds seven North West women’s records in the Under 52kg weight category.

Megan said: “Even though powerlifting’s an individual sport it’s so friendly, people you’ve never met will cheer for you in the crowd on comp day and you’re probably even good friends with your competitors.

“I never get bored. Even though we train the same three movements over and over you’re always improving and you can see your training is working when you can add more weight to the bar or your technique improves.”

One particular obstacle for the society’s dream to take teams to the university championships has been a lack of serious female interest in competitive lifting. Megan thinks this difficulty is partly due to stereotypes about the sport.

“As far as female involvement goes, there are noticeably fewer females in the sport if you look on a database like Openpowerlifting.

“It would be nice to see more females giving it a serious go at the University of Manchester but I do think people have a lot of stereotypes about the sport.

“I for one thought it was a sport for big guys but once you actually get into it and see how diverse the weight classes are it’s actually a really fair sport to compete in and you’re not disadvantaged at all being female.”

The lightest male weight category is Under 53kg. New Powerlifting Society member Wei Wen Tan competed for the first time in this category at a North West regional competition in Liverpool earlier this month, and proceeded to take three regional records for his weight class: on squat, bench, and his total score.

Eduard, who travelled to Liverpool to handle him and volunteer at the competition, said he was “super chuffed” for Wei Wen and hoped to see more members competing soon.

Eduard recommended that aspiring powerlifters should reach out to the society, because: “training for powerlifting by yourself can be not only quite lonely and a lot less fun and exciting, but it can also be a lot less productive.

“By having a society where we can set a good standard, or keep pushing each other to do more, it’s a lot quicker for newcomers to reach the standard our high-level lifters are at.

“On top of that, they can get continual support around programming, technique, and competitions from other members of the society.”

The society’s got more training sessions, socials, and even a “little mock competition” in their semester 2 calendar. They hope to see lots of new and returning faces ready to push themselves under the barbell.

Unlike other universities in the UK, the University of Manchester doesn’t have its own strength sports gym. Eduard told us with a sigh: “We are currently in the works trying to get something sorted out, but unfortunately this probably won’t come as soon as we would like.”

Photo: Carl T. Gosset Jr. @ Flickr

Opinion: Sexism remains an issue in the music industry

Written by Lily Martin on . Posted in Music.

It has become a topic of conversation that has disseminated across genres, styles, and continents, but remains scarily poignant: Do we have a deep-rooted issue with sexism in the music industry? And is that why women are struggling so much to break through into the charts and onto the stage?

The Independent reported this week that the USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has concluded that the number of women on the charts “remained stagnant at 17%”. Female songwriters contributed to just 12.3% of their field in a sample of 100 songs, and just 2.1% of songs had female producers.

Stacy Smith, lead author of the report and founder of the initiative, told Rolling Stone: “A lot of what we are seeing is just a rinse and repeat of last year. When you look at songwriting credits, you see almost 25% of the 700 most popular songs have 10 male songwriters attached. That means 10 men are setting the agenda for a quarter of the most popular content being distributed lyrically in the music space.”

These figures suggest that the under-representation of women in the music industry is an issue that can be seen clearly on a surface level. But the gender discrimination, stereotyping, and disrespect women face seems to run far deeper – arguably being partly responsible for issues of representation higher up.

Manchester isn’t exempt from this. The lack of female fronted bands in local line-ups is staggering, and gigs targeted at women in music highlight the massive disparity in opportunity between the sexes. Rarely do headlining or supporting female acts have the same level of public gravitas as their male counterparts, despite being equally as talented, hard-working, and capable. Female musicians may feel intimidated by their audience and ideals that they feel forced to uphold.

The more I speak to people, the broader the issue seems too. One front-woman of an up-and-coming indie band described how she once arrived at a popular Manchester venue to play a gig and was asked by the door staff which band her boyfriend was in. She also hates that a band being ‘female-fronted’ is now becoming a genre – “the Arctic Monkeys aren’t described as ‘male-fronted’ are they?”

An important point is made clear here: Are women in the music industry increasingly being defined by clear-cut roles and expectations about what they should be contributing to the scene?

There’s a plethora of female photographers, bloggers, journalists, and fans. But where are the female guitar techs? The female sound techs? The female tour managers? Is the music scene just one big ‘boys club’, where women are pushed into the margins to fulfill supporting roles for their male counterparts? And, essentially, is this why women are so under-represented — because they are dominated over by the men in the industry?

In my opinion, the severe problems we face in equal representation and opportunity for the genders stem back directly to a much wider lack of respect that lies beneath the surface. Many women in the music industry are exposed to being framed by stereotypes of their place, particularly in terms of the word ‘groupie’. In this one label, a woman is utterly demeaned by her male counterparts, and in many cases her female ones too.

So the question now becomes: Has all that much really changed since the emergence of the ‘fan-girl’ in the 1960s?

It’s certainly no secret that the music industry is considered a hidden hive of inadvertently sexist attitudes. The underground scene is potentially the worst. Here, archaic conceptions about how to treat women and mutual respect, irrespective of gender, reign supreme. Male musicians develop reputations for sleeping around, playing women against each other and an ethos of acceptance prevents anyone from speaking up for principles that should have been left in the 20th century.

Women are treated with little professional respect even in the roles that they embrace. There seems to be an expectation for women to dress for the men in the scene, and many female lead singers have voiced the pressure they face to be aesthetically synonymous with one-another, and to become an image of sexualisation and female promiscuity. This seems to be something that the music industry feeds on – the mistreatment and disrespect for women are shrugged off by labelling them as ‘groupies’ and even in some cases shrouded threats to their standing and opportunities within the industry are used to encourage and intimidate.

Women may even be forced to question whether they exacerbate their own situation as well.

Women rarely speak up against what they witness and experience, in part because they are numb to it. This degrades any hope of feminism in an industry that desperately needs it. Other women are perceived as threats to male attention – instead of criticising the behaviour of men as old-fashioned and outdated, we turn against each other and become defensive, defined by the company we keep and instinctively hostile against anyone who could jeopardise that. Men in the music industry remain painfully unaccountable for their flippancy and ill-judgement in their treatment of women, and this ripples out into wider opinions of the position of women in the scene.

Significant strides need to be made, particularly starting from the very roots of the music industry if we are going to establish any real change in the perception and success of female musicianship. It is vital that any change needs to be targeted at abandoning traditional concepts about whose responsibility it is to advocate equality, and stop using it as a beacon for ego development and to get laid.

George, Ravi, and the rise of ‘Raga Rock’

Written by Aidan Tinsley on . Posted in Music.

The importance of Indian influences on western popular music is often overlooked – most people can name their favourite rock musician or guitarist, while few can name even a single sitar player. Some might be tempted to explain this with a simple “people in the west just aren’t exposed to Indian music”, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. When you look at the Anglo-American musical trends of the mid-1960s and early ‘70s, the unavoidable and undeniable presence of Indian influences becomes clear, erupting onto the scene in 1965, when George Harrison was first introduced to the work of Indian musician Ravi Shankar.

The “Sitar Maestro” Shankar had begun to perform and record in the UK in the mid-1950s in an attempt to gain a western audience for his compositions of Hindustani classical music, recording his debut LP Three Ragas in London in 1956. Through this endeavour, Shankar caught the attention of Byrds singer David Crosby, who promptly introduced his music to friend George Harrison. The Beatles lead guitarist became fascinated by Indian music, a fascination which birthed the song ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’ on the Rubber Soul album in 1965. The heavy use of the sitar in this song marked the beginning of the phenomenon which would become known as ‘Raga Rock’, a period in the latter half of the 1960s in which influential rock musicians began to incorporate Indian instruments and sounds into their music, famously including the use of the sitar in the Rolling Stone’s hit ‘Paint It Black’ back in 1966.

Following the release of ‘Norwegian Wood’, Harrison met Shankar for the first time in 1966, with George requesting to be Ravi’s student in the sitar, a request which was accepted. The enthusiastic Beatle then spent six weeks of the autumn of 1966 in a boathouse in Kashmir being taught to play the sitar in the Indian classical tradition. Harrison referred to his teacher as the “first person that has ever impressed me in my life”, while Shankar later said that his student had “really wanted to learn”.

Harrison’s song ‘Within You Without You’ on the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967 was directly inspired by the time he spent with Shankar in 1966. This tune differed from ‘Norwegian Wood’ by extending beyond simply using Indian instruments in its composition and instead employing Indian musical structures and lyrical themes- reflecting Harrison’s ever-increasing dedication to understand and replicate the music he had studied.  This adoption of the correct structures and traditional lyrical themes is what makes George Harrison’s music stand out in my mind, his inclusion of Indian instruments was not a gimmick and his lyrics- as in ‘Within You Without You’- referred to Hindu themes such as the Vedanta philosophy. This is unlike other artists such as The Kinks, who musicologist Jonathon Bellman feels used their Indian influences only to refer to the “exotic”. In short, George respected the deeply embedded traditions of Indian classical music, while others promoted the western tradition of orientalism.

George Harrison continued to champion Indian music in his solo career, with his first release being Wonderwall Music (1968), a collaboration with Shankar and the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. This album employed occasional non-English vocals and Indian instruments less well-known in the West than the sitar and tambura, such as the shehnai and sarod, and more closely resembled a work of Indian classical music than anything Harrison had produced before.

One of my favourite Harrison tracks has to be ‘My Sweet Lord’ from his third solo LP All Things Must Pass (1970), not only for its hypnotic acoustic rhythm, signature silky slide guitar, and powerful key changes- but because it sought to change the way we view culture and religion, bringing people from different backgrounds together. ‘My Sweet Lord’ says so much by saying so little, with alternating chants of “Hallelujah” and “Hare Krishna” serving to call to an end to the divisions of religions from different cultures- instead offering lyrics to which all religious believers can relate.

With this song, which would become the first solo single by a Beatle to chart at no.1 internationally, George Harrison further transformed the way he incorporated Indian inspirations into his music. There are no Indian instruments or particularly Indian sounds and most of the lyrics are in English, but I think ‘My Sweet Lord’ acts as the culmination of Harrison’s personal relationship with India- a gentle and modest expression of his Hindu faith and letter of devotion to the deity Krishna.

George Harrison’s career spanned over forty years, in which time he experimented with a host of different genres and sounds, but it was his Indian-influenced work which always felt the most personal. Harrison had a passion for the music he had discovered in the ‘60s, and this translated into the authenticity of the work he produced- forever acting as a reminder that different music and cultures exist in the world other than those of the West, and are just as important.

@Sheppard Robson / Yuwei Zhang

The Future of Contact Theatre

Written by Anuli Changa on . Posted in Theatre.

The Open Forum at YES was a diverse and interesting group, brought together to discuss the annual festival, Queer Contact, celebrating LGBTQ+ culture through the arts.  The festival replaced its predecessor – Queer Up North – and is usually a 10-14 day event. However, building work at Contact Theatre means it will only be a weekend event in 2019.

The forum was made up of young people involved in Contact projects, performers, producers, and other organisations. The discussions focused on experiences as a participant/audience member of Queer Contact. We discussed the past, present and the plans to reimagine Queer Contact in 2020.

The moderators of the forum and other Contact representatives were keen to stress that the involvement of young people is integral to the work of Contact Theatre. Honesty was stressed in responses to different questions about what has been enjoyed about Contact work and what needs to be improved.

Whilst Contact’s building (situated by the Students’ Union) is being refurbished, Contact shows have kept going in different venues. The Contact in the City concept means that Contact shows have been in venues across Manchester, allowing audiences a chance to explore the city whilst experiencing the different performances

For the future of Queer Contact, comments were made about the accessibility of venues and events, as well as the representation and diversity that is needed. As mentioned, Contact Theatre is so close to the Students’ Union that it is the perfect place to escape to on university campus. The new Contact building (which will open in early 2020) will be a place to relax even when you are not attending a specific event. You won’t need a ticket to enjoy the recording studio and other creative spaces planned for young people.

The new building is putting even more emphasis on young people and their involvement with Contact. This is something Contact is already known for, with multiple projects for young people to get involved with, as well as Young Board Members.

Contact also currently have two major commission opportunities aimed at BAME performers and theatre-makers, responding to the need for better representation in the arts. The two opportunities are the Diverse Actions Artist Commission and the Queer Contact partnership with Black Gold. Again, Contact’s young people are heavily involved in the decision-making process.

Contact will clearly continue their strong focus on diversity and young people, whilst being open to constructive criticism and praise to shape future projects.

ФК ШАХТЕР@wikimediacommons.org

Champions League preview: Manchester City

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

The race for the Premier League trophy is well under way. City are breathing down Liverpool’s necks, patiently waiting for any sign of a slip-up from Klopp’s men. After successive draws to Leicester and West Ham, the Merseyside outfit have been reeled back in by their Mancunian neighbours.

As Liverpool have begun to falter, it seems that city’s defeat to Newcastle was just the wake up call they needed. Since that loss at St. James’ Park, Aguero’s six goals in three games have been essential in putting Arsenal, Everton, and Chelsea to the sword.

However, Europe is a completely different ball game. City have so far been unable to crack Europe’s top competition, coming closest back in 2015/16. Defeated by eventual winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals, surely City fans would have hoped for the club to push on in the next few seasons, not fall back.

The following years have brought much European heartache for the citizens. Disappointingly losing out to an inferior, albeit exciting, Monaco side in 2016/17. Then, crushingly bending to Liverpool’s will in their road to Kiev last season in a thrilling two—legged encounter.

This year, City will be hoping to balance both their domestic and European ambitions. Pep Guardiola clearly has much talent and depth at his disposal so even when the title race hots up further, the Champions League should not be ignored.

Group F proved to be fairly straightforward for last season’s Premier League centurions. The two Shakhtar Donetsk games were a formality ending 6-0 and 3-0; no surprises there. David Silva managed to net in both matches while Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Jesus grabbed a brace in the six—goal thrashing.

German opposition showed to be slightly tougher for the Premier League leaders. Hoffenheim put up a fight in both games but history repeated itself with two 2-1 scorelines. David Silva scored once again, while Sane got himself two goals in the final game of the group stage.

However, City showed a rather weak side to their usual brilliance when coming up against a side Guardiola had nothing but praise for. Lyon managed a 2-2 draw at The Etihad and a 2-1 victory at the Groupama Stadium. “Incredible,” is what Pep called Lyon’s young centre midfielder, Houssem Aouar.

The last 16 has not been the Citzens’ greatest ally in recent times. As mentioned, Monaco sent them home in 2017, and Barcelona ended City’s European hopes in both 2014 and 2015, the latter being the year the Catalonians lifted the trophy.

This year, City come up against struggling Schalke. The Bundesliga side have found themselves way down in 14th after a torrid start to the season that has continued after the winter break, as they have only one once since December 22nd.

Schalke’s European story, however, has been completely different to their domestic woes. The German side were handed an interesting group, with Lokomotiv Moscow the top seed the group was opened up.

Finishing on 11 points, only behind Porto, Schalke cannot be perceived as a pushover. This, paired with the Manchester club’s relative youth on the European stage, could provide an upset. However, with the form of City and the talent at their disposal they should have enough about them to see them through to the quarter finals.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @Julie Lazalier Harvey

Kyler Murray: to MLB or not to MLB

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Texas-born athlete Kyler Murray has announced that he has chosen to target a career in the NFL playing American football, over the MLB playing baseball. The 21-year-old was drafted ninth overall by the MLB side Oakland Athletics, who some may know from the film Moneyball, last June.

Murray received a signing-on bonus of $4.66 million by the A’s, of which he will repay or forfeit the majority. After being drafted in the MLB he stayed at Oklahoma University to play a season as their starting quarterback. The incredible talent of this young athlete was clear as he won the Heisman Trophy, given to the best college football player in America that season.

In a Twitter post, Murray answered questions about his future, saying: “I am firmly and fully committing my life to becoming an NFL quarterback. Football has been my love and passion my entire life. I was raised to play QB, and I very much look forward to dedicating 100% of myself to being the best QB possible and winning NFL championships.”

“I have started an extensive training program to further prepare myself for upcoming NFL workouts and interviews,” added Murray. “I eagerly await the opportunity to continue to prove to NFL decision makers that I am the franchise QB in this draft.”

The Oklahoma Sooners finished the season with an impressive 12-2 record with Murray recording some brilliant numbers. He topped the league in passing yards with 4361, along with 1001 rushing yards and a total of 54 touchdowns.

He will be hoping that his consistent performances last season, as well as his results in the NFL combine taking place on the 26th February, will be enough to convince franchises he is good enough. The first round of the draft begins on the 25th April, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr predicts Murray will be a top 5 pick. If Kiper Jr is correct, Murray will be the first player ever to be picked in the first round in both the NFL and MLB.

The general manager of the Oakland Athletics, David Forst, said that he does not regret picking Murray in the draft, even though his side will not receive a compensation draft pick. “We’ve known all along that this was a possibility, we’ve been in constant contact and we knew he had a great option in the NFL.”

“When we knew definitively is not the story here. We’ve known from the tone of the conversations that he could choose the NFL. We’ll focus on what we need to do to make sure that if he comes back to baseball at some point then he’ll come back with the A’s.”

Learning from Warwick: How does UoM deal with sexual assault?

Written by rubybannerman on . Posted in Investigations.

The University of Warwick faced a barrage of criticism after it emerged two students who were banned for 10 years for their involvement in a group chat that threatened rape could return early – later this year.

Following the backlash there was a rapid U-turn and the university confirmed the pair will not be returning at all.

The two students were among 11 investigated by police last year for a group chat named, ‘F**k women disrespect them all’, wherein they threatened to assault, rape, and torture a number of female students.

Warwick’s initial position prompts two questions – How would my university respond to these circumstances? And, what measures would my university take to ensure my safety?

The University of Manchester, in 2010 at least, may have fallen short of expectations regarding the protection of its students after sexual assault.

In an article for The Telegraph entitled, ‘My university failed me when I reported my sexual assault’, ex-University of Manchester student Eleanor Muffitt argued that the University’s treatment towards her had significantly worsened her PTSD.

She said: “As the University refused to tell me whether my assailant was still a student there, every day carried fresh fear that I’d turn a corner and come face to face with him. I stopped leaving the house and came incredibly close to ending my life, before leaving university for good 18 months later.”

So have things improved for University of Manchester students who are sexually assaulted?

Seemingly so. Whilst in the past the University might have immediately handed all responsibility to Greater Manchester Police, which Muffitt suggested they had, it is now more engaged.

The report and support page on the University’s website lists numerous actions students can take if they have been the victim of a sexual assault, some arguably better than others.

For example, the first course of action suggested is talking to your academic advisor. If you are in halls, you can also speak to your RESlife advisor. These are often circumstantial/flawed suggestions as many young female students for example, may feel uncomfortable disclosing their assault to a male advisor who is an active faculty/residential member they may frequently see.

In her article, Muffitt particularly criticised this procedure. Other options seem more viable such as Students’ Union Advice Service.

According to the website, this is a free, confidential, impartial service where students can get advice and information on numerous issues, including advice on procedures and representation at hearings. The Advice Service is also a hate crime reporting centre.

The advice page is clear and concise and offers an anonymous platform to seek help. This is a benefit students in the past like Muffitt did not have and removes any stigma one might feel when reporting through its anonymity.

Although you cannot predict exactly how individual cases may be treated, the pressure applied to the University and police from students like Muffitt, and movements like Reclaim The Night and MisogynyIsHate, mean that there will be a variety of options available to you if you experience assault.

Though suggestions such as speaking to your academic advisor may seem ignorant, that may be the appropriate course of action for some. Hence, it is difficult to measure the degree of helpfulness the university provides in this respect, its promises of respect, anonymity and support moving forward are promising.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @NAPARAZZI

England win marred by homophobia

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

England claimed a 232-run win in the third and final Test against West Indies to stop the first whitewashing by their opposition since 1986. The victory was vital if they want to stand any chance of beating Australia in the upcoming Ashes series.

After the game, captain Joe Root said that “this was a really important week for this group. It has been much more what we are about. To play in the manner we have, coming back from two disappointing games, was massive going into what is a really important summer. It is nice to finish on a high even though we have lost the series.”

With several batting collapses in the first two Tests, England relished their opposition suffering a similar fate, losing all ten wickets for 154 runs in the first innings. This collapse meant that when England declared on 361-5 in their second innings, West Indies had to chase 485 runs to win.

Root led his side impressively, scoring 122 runs to guide England to victory. However, it was during his time at the crease that an incident with West Indies bowler Shannon Gabriel occurred, which has sadly dampened an otherwise great Test series.

Describing the incident, Gabriel said: “the pressure was on and England’s captain Joe Root was looking at me intensely as I prepared to bowl, which may have been the usual psychological strategy with which all Test cricketers are familiar.”

“I recognise now that I was attempting to break through my own tension when I said to Joe Root: ‘why are you smiling? Do you like boys?’ His response, which was picked up by the microphone was: ‘don’t use it as an insult. There’s nothing wrong with being gay’.”

“I then responded: ‘I have no issues with that, but you should stop smiling at me’. I know now that it was offensive and for that I am deeply sorry. To my team-mates, and members of the England team, especially their captain Joe Root, I extend an unreserved apology for a comment which in the context of on-the-field rivalry, I assumed was inoffensive sporting banter.”

Gabriel was charged by the International Cricket Council under article 2.13, which is used for the use of language that is not permissible. It states that it “is intended to cover a Player or Player Support Personnel directing language of a personal, insulting, obscene and/or offensive nature at any Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match.”

By accepting this charge, Gabriel was fined 75% of his earnings for the match and picked up three demerit points. As the player already had five, he reached the threshold where he would be given a four-match ODI ban. This means he will miss the first four out of five ODI’s between the two sides starting on February 20th.

The point Gabriel mentions in his statement, about how he assumed it was “inoffensive sporting banter” is an issue that Cricket commentator Fazeer Mohammed discussed on the Test Match Special podcast.

“In the Caribbean, there tends to be a different attitude towards what I will describe as homophobic remarks. Of course in England and many other parts of the world there’s a very different attitude. There’s a zero level of tolerance to this sort of situation, if it is that he said something that could be defined as homophobic.”

“It’s all part of the learning process. If you’re playing international sport, with all these microphones, all these cameras around, you’re going to get caught sooner or later.”

“At the end of the day, whether it’s Shannon Gabriel or somebody else, they will have to recognise that the comments that they would make with their friends, their mates, in nightclubs, or in any other environment, which might be considered acceptable in that situation, is certainly not acceptable in the international field of play.”

Photo: Sean MacEntee @flickr

Manchester United handed “reality check” against PSG in the Champions League

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester United suffered their first defeat under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær as they lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Solskjær said that “mountains are there to be climbed” and he will be hoping his side can perform better in the second leg.

The first half of the game was fairly quiet, however United suffered two injuries in quick succession at the end of the half that caused them to change their whole game play. Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were both substituted for Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez, but the Red Devils seemed to lose all their attacking threat with the injuries.

Just eight minutes into the second half PSG defender Kimpembe volleyed in the opening goal, before World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe added another just minutes later. Sadly for United fans, the second half got worse as Paul Pogba was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Dani Alves, meaning the Frenchman will miss the second leg in his home nation.

Talking about the match, Solskjær said: “Today was a kind of a reality check on the level of the top teams. That is the level we want to get to. Top four is one thing. United should be at the top. They are a top team. We know we need to step up our level. We are disappointed.”

“There is a determination in the dressing room to put this right. We will give it a go. If we get to half-time with a one-goal lead, that is what we have to aim for.”

Following the tie, both teams were charged by UEFA. Manchester United were charged with throwing objects, which specifically related to a beer bottle thrown at former United player Angel di Maria, and for blocking stairways.

PSG were charged for setting off flares during the game, throwing objects, acts of damages, and crowd disturbance. Around 800 seats in the visitor’s section of the ground are understood to have been damaged by French fans as well as the netting protecting disabled fans being ripped. There are also reports of French fans damaging the trams they used to attend the game.

The breaches of UEFA rules by a small minority of both teams’ fans highlight the fact that, despite efforts by clubs and governing bodies to eradicate this type of behaviour, it still persists.

Manchester United’s next fixture is Chelsea on February 18th. The second tie against PSG will take place on March 6th.

Photo: Richard Johnson @Wikimedia Commons

Spurs cruise past Borussia Dortmund

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Tottenham Hotspur look set to advance to the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund. If they manage to close out the second leg it will be their joint-best campaign ever.

Both sides were marred by injuries in a game which Dortmund were predicted to win. Spurs were without captain Harry Kane and Dele Alli, while Dortmund were missing many key players including Marco Reus, Paco Alcácer, Julian Weigl, and Lukasz Piszczek. All these players however should be fit for the second leg, in a game which promises to be a cracker.

The first half was tight from both teams with few clear-cut chances. However, Son Heung-min changed that just moments into the second half with a brilliant side-footed volley from a Jan Vertonghen cross. Vertonghen had a phenomenal game playing out of position as a left wing-back.

The Belgian mirrored Son with a sublime volley from a Serge Aurier delivery to make in 2-0. Dortmund looked less likely to threat Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris as the game progressed and the game was put to bed shortly before full time by substitute Fernando Llorente.

After the game, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “the team is fighting. I am so proud. They deserve full credit. What they are doing is amazing. Son was fantastic again. I think he is a player that provides the team with a lot of things. He has a smile and has lots of energy. His performances every game are improving and improving.”

“3-0 is a very good result but at the same time I think we need to think that we need to finish the job. Always when we play this competition and against a good side like Dortmund it is very difficult.”

“We spoke about our defensive positions and changed things a little. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We have a lot of talented players. We have an unbelievable squad. I am happy with all the players. The only problem is that we can only play 11 players and not 22.”

The second leg of the tie takes place on March 5th, with Dortmund needing a massive result to salvage their Champions League hopes. Spurs will be not only eyeing up a run in the Champions League, but a potential Premier League title.

They are only five points off the pace and without an FA Cup tie this weekend, they will have over a week to rest their players before a fixture against Burnley. With games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and City still to go, some big results could see Spurs win their first Premier League trophy.

Photo: Authorised Press Shot

Hot Right Now: Sports Team

Written by Josh Sandy on . Posted in Music.

It’s often said (by me) that the road to hell is paved with ‘indie’ bands. However, occasionally a group comes along that reminds me that the UK alternative rock scene isn’t dead, it’s just in a Bastille-induced coma. Never have I been more reminded of this than when I came across the Cambridge-based six-piece Sports Team.

With the release of their debut EP Winter Nets last year, the band introduced the world to a new breed of guitar-driven rock with a distinctive pop-culture tinged lyrical dexterity. This was backed up with two singles, ‘Margate’, a fast-paced upbeat ode to the popular British holiday destination, and ‘Kutcher’, which inexplicably uses the former Punk’d host as a bizarre relationship metaphor. Both releases started to draw whispers about their potential and this, coupled with their energetic live shows, earned the sextet a much coveted spot on NME’s 100 Essential New Artists For 2019 and a place in DIY magazine’s Class of 2019.

These tips have proved to be correct as the release of their new single ‘M5’ in late January has cemented their status as the band to watch in 2019. The song has enabled them to find a uniquely British niche and is dripping with retro Britpop-influence. It channels the Middle England angst and wit of Blur and invokes memories of both ‘Country House’ and ‘Parklife’. The track has already received the backing of Radio 1’s Annie Mac as her ‘Track of The Week’ and the accompanying video, which features the group against a hilariously badly green screened motorway, is well worth a watch.

After their single’s success, there are many reasons to be excited for the future of Sports Team. Starting with their upcoming UK tour, which includes an appearance at Manchester’s Soup Kitchen, as well as their hotly anticipated second EP Keep Walking! which is due in early March.

Of course, there will be people who, like me, may have lost faith in this genre, but I can assure you that the fightback is very much on – and Sports Team will be one of the first over the top.

Photo: LevFlix

LevFlix: A community cinema at the heart of Levenshulme

Written by Aisha Al-Janabi on . Posted in Film.

Over cups of tea, I had the opportunity to chat to Zoe who volunteers at LevFlix, which is a local cinema organisation. LevFlix was created after the re-opening of The Levenshulme Old Library in 2018, and hosts screenings with the community at the heart of it’s founding, organisation, and continued success.

Whilst talking to Zoe it was clear there is a wonderful collaboration between the the community and those involved with LevFlix. Levflix is a not-for-profit organisation run by a team of volunteers to provide accessible and engaging film screenings at The Levenshulme Old Library. As the name would suggest, this was a library that opened in 1905 before, sadly, being closed in 2016. This would not have been possible without continued support from locals who in 2013 occupied the library and refused to leave in order to prevent it’s closure, along with demonstrations that were held outside the Town Hall.

Despite this success, the library building remained unused for some years but with continued pressure and support from the public the building was re-opened and re-purposed in 2018 as an Arts, Community and Cultural Centre.

The long-awaited opening of the community centre was successful and Zoe fondly remembered visitors coming in saying “I remember when it was full of books!” Although no longer kitted out with bookshelves, thankfully it is still filled with something that provides invaluable resources to the community.

One of these resources born from the reopening is Levlix and the importance of locals is evident from how these film screenings are organised. When I asked Zoe about their target audience her answer was simple, “anyone who’d like to” which is certainly possible through it’s pay-as-you-feel scheme. In addition to this, the volunteers created an online survey to find out film preferences audience members had so this could cater be catered for, something which is a unique possibility as a community cinema.

From these surveys the three most popular genres seemed to be international, independent, and documentary films. The next film certainly fulfills these, with Britain on Film: South Asian Britain being shown on Wednesday the 20th of February at 7pm. The film is collated archive footage of Britain’s South Asian communities from the 20th century.

The funds raised from these screenings have been used to subsidise matinee films for families during the school holidays. Events such as this can give parents invaluable support during school holidays and provide engaging experiences for children as alongside the screening were crafts supplies, biscuits, and fruit – all the requirements for a great afternoon.

Levflix is still a young organisation, created in 2018, and are looking for more volunteers including behind-the-scenes side of the organisation including social media outreach and support on the day of screenings like setting up.  To find out more about upcoming film screenings, or about getting involved with Levflix head to their Facebook page or website for more details and to find contact details.

Photo: University of Manchester

Fewer students from state-run schools enrolling at uni

Written by Lucy Menage on . Posted in News.

A summary published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows a decrease in the proportion of students enrolled at university who come from state-run schools.

The statistics have been published as an objective measure of how UK higher education performs in widening participation at university. Widening participation includes looking at students from disadvantaged backgrounds or students who receive the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DLA).

Rates of students enrolled for their first degree who were educated by state-run secondary schools had been steadily increasing since the 2010/11 academic year. However, for the first time in eight years, the enrolment rates from state-run schools have dropped from 90% in 2016/17 to 89.9% in 2017/18 across the UK.

The University of Manchester has an even lower rate of disadvantaged student enrolment at 84.6% in 2017/18 compared to Manchester Metropolitan University’s ground-breaking 97.2% in the same year.

However, the University of Manchester differs from the trend as the rate of disadvantaged student enrolment has increased from 82.8% in 2016/17.

The figures show that the numbers of students from low-participation neighbourhoods has continued to rise since 2009 including an increase from 11.4% in 2016/17 to 11.6% in 2017/18.

Students enrolled who receive DSA had risen until 2015/16 at which point it dropped from 6.9% to 6.6% in 2016/17 and 2017/18, respectively.

The University of Manchester, again, shows a different correlation as 7.5% of enrolled students receive DSA in 2017/18 which has not changed from 2016/17. Although, Manchester Metropolitan University rates are lower than average as only 5.3% of DSA receiving students were enrolled in 2017/18 which has fallen from 5.7% in 2016/17.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency does recommend caution when using the data to look at trends across time. Changes to the underlying population such as the number of students attending state-run schools were not included. In addition, changes in the way state-schools are marked meant that a number of students were excluded from the figures.