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The "For the record" graphic (THES, March 17) is a "stacked area chart", and the rising lines for full and part-time student numbers suggest both contribute to the growth. But close inspection reveals the band for full-time students appears to narrow, despite headline and text implying that full-time numbers have not declined. The true situation would be clarified if the full-time line were drawn at the bottom and seen to go down. This illustrates what I call graphical literacy, which requires greater appreciation in the education system for intelligent use to be made of the ubiquitous IT.

R. Allan Reese

Associate manager, Graduate Research Institute, University of Hull