Fee uncertainty looms

The Times

A question mark is hanging over the fees that could be payable by Scottish students who go to English universities. The Scottish Government has failed to give guarantees over the assistance that will be available after higher fees come into force south of the border. Fees in many English universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, are set to rise to pound;9,000 a year from next year.

Lack of internet control

The Herald

Only one in four parents in Scotland have controls on their internet access to stop children viewing harmful content, a new report has found. Scottish parents appear less concerned about online risks than the rest of the UK, where more than a third of parents limit access to the internet, according to the watchdog Ofcom.

EMA closure `rushed’

The Guardian

Michael Gove’s replacement for the scrapped education maintenance allowance (EMA) is a “rushed and ill-thought through” reform that was unveiled too late for teenagers making decisions about study in September, a committee of MPs has warned. Mr Gove announced the abolition of EMA, which helped students in households earning under pound;21,000 a year, as part of the spending review in October 2010.

Smoking row heats up

Sunday Herald

An international tobacco giant has been accused of harassing Scottish university staff and trying to sabotage their work on smoking using freedom of information laws. Attempts by Philip Morris International to obtain raw data from Stirling University’s Centre for Tobacco Control Research have prompted a call for academic work to be exempt from FoI.

Boy, 15, accused of rape

Daily Record

A boy aged 15 has been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl while they were on leave from a children’s home. Council bosses have ordered an inquiry after the alleged attack, which involved the pair from a secure unit. Staff will be quizzed about whether strict rules were broken leading up to the incident, close to Edinburgh city centre, on Saturday.