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Financial Times
The UK could miss out on thousands of international students in the coming academic year because of a tighter immigration regime, universities warn. Applications that once took days in some cases require three months, according to Leeds University Business School, which has received record numbers of applicants for its courses but fears many will not arrive. Others have been rejected for minor discrepancies. One application failed because the nationality was entered as "Nigeria" rather than "Nigerian", said the university.
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Universities warn on student visa delays (Financial Times)

Daily Telegraph
Mergers should be built up over time rather than rushed because of "political impatience", teachers' leaders have said. The comments came as Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said under-performing schools should be involved in formal partnership deals or given new leadership as part of a drive to improve standards.
School merger plans 'should not be rushed' (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Mail
Sidelining traditional subjects in favour of skills courses is stripping lessons of content and failing to challenge pupils, an Ofsted report warns. Almost one in three secondary schools is merging subjects such as history, geography and religious studies into broad classes on 'learning skills'. The new curriculum was part of a shake-up ordered by the Government last year. But the approach is leading to 'loss of subject content' and 'lack of rigour and challenge', the report warns. 
Merged subjects are not challenging pupils, report warns (Daily Mail)
Ofsted finds schools failing on new secondary curriculum (Guardian)

Guardian
The government is to set up a fund to give students at risk of dropping out a chance to complete their degree online through the Open University. The prime minister tonight announced the £12m plan to help some of the 35,000 students who drop out every year.
Drop-out students get help to finish their degrees at home (Guardian)

Daily Telegraph
Schools could be left with serious teaching shortages because of sharp cuts to university education departments, according to teachers' leaders. A drop in the number of students being trained to work in schools risks a return to 80s-style shortages and an increase in class sizes, it was claimed. Unions warn that the 30,000 trainees admitted to courses last year could fall dramatically, just as rising numbers of older teachers prepare to retire.
Teaching shortage warning amid university funding squeeze (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Telegraph
Graduates should also be required to pay higher interest rates on student loans to raise more cash for higher education, it was claimed. Professor Paul Wellings, chairman-elect of the 1994 Group, which represents 18 leading institutions, said British universities would struggle to compete with those from the United States, Australia and the Far East unless more money was made available. It comes as Queen's University Belfast - one of Britain's top institutions - announced plans on Tuesday to cut more than 100 academic and research jobs to save cash.
Student tuition fees 'should increase', says vice-chancellor (Daily Telegraph)

Guardian
Testing times for students under league table pressure (Guardian)

Comment from Deborah Orr in the Independent.
Exclusion just delivers children back to the source of their woes - Deborah Orr (Independent)

Comment from Andrea Kon in the Daily Mail.
Bringing back the grammar school is the only way to give poor children a chance. And I should know! – Andrea Kon (Daily Mail)

Independent
A selection of articles in the Independent's Education Supplement today.
Model students: Why GCSE pupils are head over heels about sculpture (Independent)
Arthurian legend: Can Michael Arthur work his magic as chairman of the Russell Group? (Independent)
Conor Ryan: In a crisis, you still can't reach a social worker (Independent)

Daily Telegraph
American pensioners are mentally 10 years younger than their English counterparts due to better education and quality of life, a new survey by the University of Michigan claims.
US pensioners mentally '10 years younger' than those in England (Daily Telegraph)