Fears of a ruined view

The Scotsman

Fettes College, one of Scotland’s leading private schools, has come under fire over plans to create a modern all-girls boarding house in its grounds. The fear is it will ruin views of its famous 19th-century main building. The proposed pound;3 million development, which would accommodate up to 60 girls, has been criticised for harming the view of the 1870 building, designed by David Bryce.

Private schools’ plea

The Herald

Private schools have urged Scotland’s charities regulator to remove them from its list of institutions at risk of losing their charitable status. The independent sector spoke out after statistics showed schools had been spending millions on bursaries for pupils from poorer backgrounds. The Scottish Council of Independent Schools said increased financial support meant the sector should not be seen as at greater risk than other large charities.

Hopefuls back axe protest

The Press and Journal

A pressure group campaigning against the closure of 11 rural primary schools was backed by three of Argyll and Bute’s Scottish election candidates. Argyll Rural Schools Network asked all candidates if they could sign up to a statement on the issue, attracting support from the Labour, SNP and Tory candidates. Argyll and Bute Council has launched a consultation into the closure plans.

University cash warning

The Scotsman

Scotland’s universities are “punching above their weight” in funding, compared with the rest of the UK, according to new figures. However, university leaders said about half their income was from private and international sources and warned that if the expected funding gap was not filled next year, overall funding would slip. The latest numbers from the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency show that Scottish universities had an income of pound;2.8 billion in total.

Probe into regime links

The Times

Scotland’s oldest university has launched a review of one of its academic research centres after claims that funding was arranged by the Syrian regime of President Assad. The University of St Andrews received more than pound;100,000 for its Centre for Syrian Studies with the assistance of the Syrian ambassador to the UK, Sami Khiyami.