SNP probed over gap

the Scotsman

The SNP has come under renewed pressure to publish details of its plans to keep university education free. Figures from the Office for Fair Access revealed a funding gap of pound;263 million between Scottish and English universities by 2014-15, following the introduction in England of student fees averaging pound;8,161. The figure is far higher than the pound;93m the Scottish Government had estimated would be needed to ensure Scotland remains “competitive”.

Southern discomfort

Scotland on Sunday

Scottish universities have received 5,000 fewer applications - a 15 per cent fall - from students south of the border wanting to take their degrees in Scotland. The news comes amid claims that the recession and uncertainty over fees are causing undergraduates to stay closer to home.

Top of weapons `league’

The Times

Pupils in the west of Scotland brought more weapons to school over the past five years than their peers anywhere else in the UK, according to figures obtained using the Freedom of Information Act. Strathclyde Police heads a league table of 27 forces which lays bare the level of violence among youngsters. A six-year-old was caught with a knife at primary, two children aged 13 and 15 were caught with meat cleavers and a 14-year-old had a knuckleduster.

Three Ts replace three Rs

The Times

Young children have battled for generations to master the art of handwriting, but now the written word is going the way of the quill as American schools are told to focus instead on the “three Ts”: texting, tapping and typing on keyboards. Officials in Indiana have said that, instead of learning longhand, pupils will be expected to become proficient in keyboarding - and the Midwestern state is at the vanguard of a broader trend.

Close shave for Harrison

Daily Record

A schoolboy has been banned from class for refusing to shave his beard. Harrison Cerami, 15, who is 6ft 2in, was put in isolation by teachers at Ribblesdale High in Blackburn, Lancashire, after being warned about his facial adornment. He is being backed by his mum, who said: “He’s just a good looking, hairy lad who wants to have a beard.”