51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Students get extra childcare cash
Education and skills minister Margaret Hodge today signed regulations increasing the child-care grant available to full-time higher education students in England and Wales. The government will pay up to 85 per cent of child-care costs to an upper limit of ?135 per week for one child and ?200 per week for two children.

Graduate starter salaries rise
Average graduate starting salaries have increased, with Scotland offering the highest wages. Figures from the Graduate Market Trends Salary and Vacancy Survey for May 2000 to May 2001, show average starting salaries up by 2.5 per cent on the previous year to ?17,786. The average starting salary in Scotland was ?19,668, up 17 per cent on the year before.

OU offers courses to sixth formers
The Open 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ has announced it is to offer taster degree courses to sixth formers in up to 100 specialist schools. Technology, maths, science, French, German and Spanish will be available from September next year. The aim is to stretch pupils and encourage them to progress to university.