HE funding mess

Higher education funding in Wales was in for a bumpy week next week with the publication of the Rees report, and now even more so...

Student funding to be debated just days before report, Tories urged to drop oppostion to top-up fees and Tories should wait for a better informed debate, all Western Mail. Academic sparks top-up fees row, from the BBC:

"To then have a debate on it two days before the report comes out is bonkers, frankly.

Not that it's really much to get excited about, seeing as the conclusion is so obvious and always has been. The Tories' timing may not be cricket but with minority Labour rule in the Assembly there is a potentially very interesting report. And who's at the front of urging the Tories to drop the motion, not because of scheduling but just because they disagree with the idea? University chiefs, happily sticking it to their customers.