Pass a test, buy a dress

Politics students at an offshoot of the faculty of political science at Palermo University in Enna will get a 50,000 lire (Pounds 17) clothing voucher for each exam passed as a spur to complete their degree course promptly, writes Paul Bompard in Rome.

Local authorities in Enna, one of Italy's poorest provinces, want to get as many people as possible through university. The incentive plan is the result of a deal between the consortium that runs the Enna university department and the association of local shopkeepers.

Each of the Enna institute's 400 students could get the voucher equivalent of Pounds 100 in a year. "Students who are behind with exams hurt themselves and are an added cost to families and the university," said Cataldo Salerno, president of the consortium.