Latest news

Record numbers start teacher training
Recruitment to teacher training courses has hit a seven-year high. Education secretary Estelle Morris welcomed Teacher Training Agency figures which showed today that nearly 29,000 people started postgraduate certificate of education and bachelor of education courses this year.
Teacher Training Agency: www.canteach.gov.uk

SHEFC accused of mishandling funding review
Members of the Scottish Parliament will be debating a report today that accuses the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council of "profoundly mishandling" a university funding review. Alex Neil, convenor of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committe which produced the report, is due to lead the debate.

Scottish college funding deficit to rise
The Association of Scottish Colleges is seeking a "comprehensive stock-take" on funding for further education following an Audit Scotland report revealing that 34 of the 43 further education colleges had deficits in 1999/2000. Audit Scotland says this number is expected to rise to 37 next year.

Australian opposition woos students
Australia’s Labor opposition says it will ease repayments for students under the country’s Higher Education Contributions Scheme if it wins power in next week’s general elections. The starting point for repayments, now an annual income of A$22,900 (£7,700), would be raised by $10,000 over four years starting in 2003.