What the papers say.

This article presents views of Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education of Great Britain, on educational standards. He refused to be drawn on the question of top-up fees, maintaining his view that he will speak in detail about this once the much delayed White Paper on higher education is published in January. However, he does think that those who benefit from higher education should pay something for it, with his present inclination being for a graduate tax rather than payment up front. He mused on the ideal type of school and came up with this stupefying banality. He is "intellectually sympathetic" towards a European style baccalaureate to replace A-levels, but does not see this as a practical idea at present.