Scottish childcare among the UK’s costliest

PARENTS in Scotland are facing some of the highest childcare costs in Britain with some paying annual bills of nearly £12,000, according to a new report.

Scotland’s out-of-school clubs have the second highest average costs in the UK, while childminding charges are the highest outside of the south of England.

Costs also vary across local authoritieswith the average weekly prices in Scotland for nursery care for children under two ranging from £67.50 to £142.50, according to the report by the Daycare Trust and Children in Scotland charities.

A parent using 25 hours of care over 50 weeks of the year in Scotland’s most expensive nursery would face a bill of £11,688.

Individual authorities were not identified in the report.

Meanwhile, the survey also found that only a fifth of Scottish local authorities said they had enough childcare for parents working full time, while just one in ten had sufficient for those working outside normal office hours or living in rural areas.

The Scottish Government insisted it was committed to bringing down the cost of childcare, but charities have called for legislation to provide universal free childcare.

Daycare Trust chief executive Anand Shukla said: “The high price of childcare faced by many Scottish families is putting significant pressure on family budgets at a time when tax credits have been cut.

“These problems are exacerbated by significant gaps in childcare availability and a postcode lottery in prices.

“Greater management of the childcare market is needed, both at government and at local authority level.

“Today, we are calling on the Scottish Government to take the lead in implementing the Early Years Framework by legislating to provide a childcare place for every child.”

The report also found the cost gap between private and state nurseries was highest in Scotland, at least £20 per week compared with less than £10 south of the Border.

Some costs have improved in the past year in Scotland. Nursery places for children aged two and over dropped by 3.1 per cent and out-of-school clubs decreased 1.9 per cent. But childminding costs for children aged two and up climbed 5 per cent – more than English or Welsh averages.

The report’s authors urged the Scottish Government to put pressure on Westminster to amend regulations to allow self-employed parents to claim childcare vouchers. They also said Scottish local authorities should be forced to collect better data on childcare provision.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it was committed to expanding and improving the quality of early learning and childcare provision, focusing on those who were most in need.

She added: “Since 2007, we have delivered real increases in free pre-school provision, benefiting around 100,000 children each year.

“In addition, we’re providing £4.5 million over the next three years to local authorities to deliver additional early learning and childcare for all looked after two-year-olds; and a further £4.5m to promote community-based solutions to family support and childcare.

“This government is committed to tackling the high cost of childcare through changes to the welfare and tax systems. Having control over our tax and benefit systems would undoubtedly help deliver this.”

A total of 26 of the 32 Scottish local authorities took part in the survey, carried out between November 2011 and January 2012.

• Glasgow mother of two Steffi Keir, 41, who works in the charitable sector, pays about £600 a month for three days a week of childcare for her daughters, aged five and 17 months.

She said to go private would cost far more and there should be a system of universally subsidised childcare, except where parents can really afford it.

“We got our oldest into a local authority nursery at the age of three, so before that we paid a childminder £500 a month,” she said. “I could be a stay-at-home mum, but it would be difficult for me not to even work part-time, because it’s a very fulfilling job.”

NEWS BY:http://www.scotsman.com

Live Commentary: England vs. Wales

Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of this Six Nations clash between England and Wales at Twickenham.

England, despite winning both of their games so far this tournament, go into this match as underdogs. With Owen Farrell moving to fly-half and Manu Tuilagi coming in at centre, England could be dangerous in midfield.

Wales are favourites but have not won at HQ for a long time. Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones return to the pack, giving Wales a slight advantage upfront. England will not want to let this one slip, but there is nothing the Welsh love more than beating England, especially at Twickenham. This could be the match of the Championship so far.

(Please refresh this page to see the latest updates)

00mins No controversy over the anthems today as the teams line up.

01mins Here we go! Steve Walsh blows and Farrell delivers wide. Toby Faletau takes. Early penalty to Wales as England fail to release after a tackle. Priestland kicks to touch.

02mins George North breaks down the middle and looks to be on but falls to an ankle tap. Priestland tries the chip on but it goes too long. England restart and North tries again, this time down the line but is bundled into touch.

04mins Wales maul down the wing but Ian Evans is adjudged to be offside. England kick back and Wales gather at half-way.

05mins England win a penalty on the half-way line. Farrell finds touch.

07mins Wales win a scrum after two restarts. They attempt the dink-on but it goes into touch.

09mins Warburton forces a penalty after the tackle as Farrell holds on on the ground. They find touch in the English half. England pinch the lineout.

10mins England clear but not past their halfway line. Wales win the lineout.

12mins Priestland delivers high but Dixon gathers. England go long and Halfpenny glances off two tackles. A risky pass from Alun Wyn Jones is intercepted but knocked on by Strettle.

13mins Penalty to Wales off the scrum. Priestland kicks to the English 22.

15mins Wales creep into the English 22 from the lineout. The English defence looks solid.

16mins England turn over but it goes for a scrum. The ref awards Wales the put-in.

17mins The scrum is resent after some confusion off a Faletau pick.

18mins Wales with a mighty heave from the scrum. England are penalised. Halfpenny will go for the posts.

19mins Halfpenny pushes his attempt wide.

20mins Wales knock on after the restart to award England a scrum in their own half.

21mins England take a quick penalty and burst down the centre. They go wide and into the Welsh 22.

22mins Farrell attemps a drop gaol after penalty adventage is called. He pushes it wide and it goes back for the spot kick.

23mins PENALTY! Farrell puts England on the board. ENGLAND 3-0 WALES

24mins Botha penalised for going off his feet at the ruck. Halfpenny to go for three.

25mins PENALTY! Halfpenny evens the scores. ENGLAND 3-3 WALES

27mins North takes the ball into touch to give England a dangerous lineout. England win and spread wide to get inches from the Welsh try line.

28mins Wales defend extremely well and play is called back for an offside penalty. England try to take it quick but Walsh calls it back. Jamie Roberts is threatened with the bin for offside.

29mins PENALTY! Farrell puts England ahead. ENGLAND 6-3 WALES

31mins England go down the line and look extremely dangerous. This is encouraging for the men in white as they hold on to possession.

33mins A penalty to Wales puts a halt to English momentum.

34mins PENALTY! It's a hard one for Halfpenny but he sends it over. ENGLAND 6-6 WALES

36mins Priestland bounces off Tuilagi as England mount their attack. Wales win it back from a failed chip-on.

37mins England turn over and go down the line. A pass is intercepted but England win a penalty on the floor.

38mins PENALTY! Farrell goes three-from-three. ENGLAND 9-6 WALES

40mins England slow it down to wait for the clock, before Dxon boots it out.

HALF TIME: ENGLAND 9-6 WALES Wales started off well but England have had some great momentum towards the end. It's still too close to call and the second half looks set to be a thriller.

40mins Referee Walsh gets the second half underway.

41mins Wales battle into the English half but England win a penalty.

42mins Farrell boots to touch just outside the Welsh 22.

43mins Wales turn over and Mike Phillips boots long. England gather and restart their attack.

44mins YELLOW CARD! A Priestland kick is charged down and England look to set up a try. Priestland comes in for a late tackle and is sent for a 10 minute cool down.

45mins PENALTY! Farrell sends another one over, ENGLAND 12-6 WALES

47mins Wales slow down play as they advance to the English 22.

50mins Slow, disciplined work from Wales as they hang on to possession. The phases are going well until England win a penalty. Farrell boots for touch and finds the Welsh 22.

52mins England maul from the lineout and are held at the 22. England spill and Wales isolate the English defender. Wales miss touch but England's clearance sets up a Welsh attack. Wales win a penalty at the ruck.

53mins PENALTY! Halfpenny sends it over. ENGLAND 12-9 WALES

54mins Ryan Jones replaces Alun Wyn Jones.

55mins Priestland waits to come back on as England knock on in the Welsh half.

56mins Priestland rejoins play as the teams pack down.

57mins Wales win a penalty for offside from the scrum. They boot for touch but don't find much territory.

59mins England with a series of turnovers on the half way line. They spread wide and advance to the Welsh 22.

60mins Play is halted as the English attack is bundled into touch. All the pressure is on Wales and England are looking extremely hungry for a try.

61mins Youngs is on for Dixon. Tom Croft pinches the Welsh lineout.

62mins England are penalised but Priestland misses touch. England return and win a penalty on the floor.

63mins Farrell misses his kick.

65mins England with a relentless onslaught on Wales. The men in red can't seem to get out their own half. Toby Flood comes on for Farrell.

66mins Wales get into the English half and are awarded a scrum.

68mins Wales burst into the English 22 and come inches from the line. England steal on the floor and clear.

69mins England are penalised for bringing Warburton down from the jump at the lineout. Wales kick for touch and find the English 22.

70mins England penalised for a hand in the ruck. Halfpenny to go for the posts.

71mins PENALTY! Halfpenny levels the scores. ENGLAND 12-12 WALES

73mins England mount a fast-paced attack but get an unlucky offside call. Wales kick for touch.

74mins Priestland sends it high into the English 22 and Foden calls the mark. They send it back to Wales and win turnover.

76mins TRY! Replacement Scott Williams steals ball and hacks on. He wins the foot race and dives over. Halfpenny converts. ENGLAND 12-19 WALES

77mins England come within a whisker as George North knocks an English grubber kick into touch on the five-metre line.

78mins England with a penalty and kick for touch for five-metre lineout. Wales set up their defence.

79mins Wales look to have turned over but England are awarded the lineout. They kick for touch and go for the five-metre lineout.

80mins England spread wide and go over the line, but it looks to be held up. It's going upstairs.

83mins INCONCLUSIVE -NO TRY!

FULL TIME! ENGLAND 12-19 WALES Wales win the Triple Crown! To be fair, though, England were extremely unlucky to lose this match. It's a cliche but it could have gone either way. England will take a lot of positives from this game, but Wales take the 2012 Triple Crown, and their first ever Triple Crown at Twickenham.

NEWS BY:http://www.sportsmole.co.uk

Overnight Alcohol Related Emergency Visits Almost Treble Since UK Licensing Laws Changed

The number of people kept overnight for emergency care because of alcohol-related problems has almost tripled since the UK changed its licensing laws, according to and article in the Emergency Medicine Journal (BMJ).

In November, 2005, UK licensing laws changed so that establishments can sell alcohol virtually 24/7. It was thought that by extending licensing hours binge drinking and crime and disorder related to drunkenness would go down.

This study looked at the number of emergency care visits to an inner-city London teaching hospital during two separate months - one month before the change in law, the other month after. It is a large emergency department, close to several drinking establishments. The study only looked at people over 16 who had been drinking before coming into the emergency department.

The study found that:
(March 2005 was before the change in the law, March 2006 was after the change)

-- March 2005 - over 10,000 emergency department visits were made
-- March 2006 - 3% fewer emergency department visits were made (compared to 2005)
-- March 2005 - 2,700 overnight visits to emergency care
-- March 2006 - 3,100 overnight visits to emergency care
-- March 2005 - 3% of overnight stays were alcohol related (79 total)
-- March 2006 - 8% of overnight stays were alcohol related (250 total)

The authors believe that the new legislation, rather than curb binge drinking and alcohol related crime and disorder, has had the opposite effect. They said "We feel that our findings are likely to be representative of inner city (emergency care departments) in the UK. If reproduced over longer time periods and across the UK, as a whole, the additional numbers of patients presenting to emergency care, with alcohol related problems could be very substantial."

NEWS BY:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

Education Divisions Boost McGraw-Hill and Pearson Earnings

Two of the biggest players in education publishing had good news to report in their most recent earnings filings, even though McGraw-Hill (MHP) supplied more tangible information than its U.K.-based competitor, Pearson (PSO).

McGraw-Hill Sees Strong Gains in Education Division

For its third quarter, McGraw-Hill's profit rose to $380 million, or $1.23 a share, from $336 million, or $1.07 a share in the year-earlier period -- a 15% increase from the same time last year and way above analysts' expectations of $1.10 EPS. Total revenue grew by 5.5% to $1.98 billion, also beating analysts' projections for the company.

On the education side, revenue jumped 5.5% to $1.1 billion while operating profit grew 19.9% to $357.5 million. That took into account a $3.8 million pre-tax gain on the divestiture of a secondary school business in Australia, while foreign exchange had negligible impact this quarter, a far cry from previous earnings periods.

Looking at specific education segments, revenue for the School Education Group increased by 6.7% to $534.7 million compared to the same time last year, while the higher education side went up 4.3% to $520.0 million. The School Education Group is now on track to capture 30% of the estimated $825 million to $875 million state new adoption market in 2010, owing in large part to substantial orders from the adoption states with the biggest student enrollments, such as Texas, California, and Florida.

Good news also came from the Standard & Poor's side, as that division's revenue increased 9.5% to $697.4 million compared to 12 months ago. The biggest reason? High-yield debt issuance.

As for information and media, Q3 revenue declined by 4.7% to $227.8 million compared to the same period last year, but it would have increased 5.1% if not for lingering residue from the sale of BusinessWeek to Bloomberg. Operating profit for this division also increased by 55.1% to $45.8 million in the third quarter.

In a statement, Chairman, CEO and President Harold McGraw III attributed the earnings jump to a slew of factors, including "surging global high-yield issuance in the bond market, a solid gain at S&P Indices, increases in U.S. elementary-high school and higher education in the seasonally most important quarter of the year, double-digit increases in the sales of digital products and services in higher education and professional markets, and global growth in energy information products."

Looking ahead, the company is bumping up its guidance, now anticipating earnings per share somewhere between $2.60 and $2.65, even with a one-time gain of 2 cents EPS from recent acquisitions.

Pearson Finds Success in Move to Global Learning Technology

As for Pearson, its nine-month trading report was thin on numbers and long on percentage-driven positive news. Overall, the company increased sales by 7% and adjusted operating profit 15% in the first nine months of 2010. Its trade book publishing arm, Penguin, saw revenue grow 5% compared to last year, and the education side increased 7% from 12 months ago. That piece of news caused Pearson to remark that it continues "to accelerate our transformation from book publisher to the leading global learning technology and services company through organic investment and bolt-on acquisitions."

An 11% jump in revenue for the Financial Times came about because of "strong demand for its print and digital content," increased M&A activity and sustained advertising growth. For Penguin, Pearson noted that "physical retail markets are tough," but they were offset "by strong publishing and rapid growth in eBook sales" for 16,500 titles currently available. Industry newsletter Publishers Lunch ran the numbers, and for e-books that means "if Penguin ebooks went from 8.5% of U.S. sales after two quarters to 10% of U.S. sales in the third quarter, that would comprise revenue of approximately $4 million."

In other words, as is the case for almost all big publishers right now, e-books are growing, but the story is still small potatoes compared to larger sectors like education -- and print publishing as a whole.


NEWS BY: http://www.dailyfinance.com

Some U.S. College Students Look to the U.K.

LONDON—When final-year economics undergraduate Robert Rogers transferred from Georgetown University to the London School of Economics, his annual tuition fees plummeted to around $20,000 a year from around $41,000.

"It didn't even occur to me to apply abroad when I was in high school," said Mr. Rogers, on a recent afternoon outside the LSE's Students' Union. "I certainly didn't hear of any of my [high-school] classmates applying to study abroad."

Mr. Rogers said that his reasons for moving to the LSE weren't financially motivated. But finances drive others to follow him. As tuition at U.S. colleges increasingly becomes less affordable for many—and as spots at the most competitive institutions more and more resemble gold dust—some American high schoolers are looking to the United Kingdom to meet their educational needs.
Doing the Math

It is almost heresy to say it right now here in the U.K., what with English students recently taking to the streets in protest at the government's proposal to raise tuition fees to no less than £6,000 a year (just under $10,000) for some domestic enrollees, but the fact remains that, by U.S. standards, universities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain a "cheap" place to get an education.

Tuition fees in the U.K. vary from institution to institution, and also from region to region, but the cost for an overseas undergraduate at University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, for the academic year 2009-2010 would be about $19,000.

And if you're lucky enough to be able to claim "home" or "European Union" status, this figure would be just shy of $3,000 a year—though it is set to triple or even quadruple from 2012 onward for some institutions south of the Scottish border under the British coalition government's aggressive overhauls to higher-education funding.

Even to study in the University of Oxford's hallowed halls would cost a U.S. student just over $20,000 for an undergraduate program of study. (The fee would be about $4,700 for a U.K. student.)

Every college that features in the top 20 of the U.S. News and World Report's most recent ranking of best U.S. colleges costs at least $34,000 a year for tuition and fees. Most, in fact, are closer to $40,000 a year, and quite a few top that level.

The downsides of going abroad include: plane tickets, time zones, foul weather and the cultural labyrinth resulting from two nations divided, as the saying goes, by a common language. However, if one is contemplating spending at the higher end of the scale, there is also approximately $80,000 or more to be saved.

More than 3,000 normally U.S.-domiciled undergraduate-level students applied to do just that in 2009, according to UCAS, the organization responsible for managing applications to higher-education programs in the U.K. And while only 1,330 were accepted, according to UCAS, the relatively modest numbers mask a rising trend.

There has been a 27% increase in undergraduate applications from U.S. students since 2006, while the total number of U.S. students studying for full degrees at British higher-education institutions as of 2009—across both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels—stands at just over 14,000, data from the U.K.'s Higher Education Statistics Agency show.

It is "very important that [students] enter the global economy with global competencies," said Allan Goodman, president and chief executive officer of the Institute of International Education, in emailed comments.

Todd Weaver, an education consultant with Strategies for College Inc., a Canton, Mass.-based advisory firm, said that while students and parents in the U.S. are starting to realize that it is relatively inexpensive to study in places such as the U.K., they are also weighing the reduced cost against "the ability to have a network in place after college" when job hunting.

"If you go to school in New England, for example, there's a good chance you will be looking for a job in the local area," said Mr. Weaver.
European Vacation?

Steven Goodman, an admissions strategist with education specialist Top Colleges who has worked extensively placing students at colleges as far afield as Romania and South Africa, said the major difficulty facing U.S. students who want to study in the U.K. isn't necessarily to do with the perceived job market back home, but with "the English secondary-school specialization that is not usually a part of the American high-school curriculum."

NEWS BY:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704563204575641621042415364.html?mod=googlewsj

UK small caps climb higher at midday; Sanatana Diamonds top on Kimberlite find

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - UK small caps climbed higher at midday, reflecting the positive mood of the wider market, with Sanatana Diamonds the top riser after its Kimberlite discovery.

At 12.05 pm, the FTSE Small Cap index was 4.30 points up at 3,792.70, while the FTSE 100 was 33.40 points ahead at 6,533.80.

Sanatana Diamonds gained 4-1/2 pence to 20-1/2 as it announced a discovery of Kimberlite on the Greenhorn Project in the Northwest territories.

It said Kimberlite, a type of rock best known for containing diamonds, was intersected at a 5.5 metre depth during the drilling of a vertical hole on the G14 magnetic anomaly.

The new kimberlite has been named 'Dharma'.

Drilling is continuing in kimberlite at a greater than 145 metre depth and will continue as long as it remains in kimberlite or until the drill reaches the end of its supply of drilling rods at 250 metres, the company said in a statement.

Also buoyed by positive drilling news was Kalahari Minerals, which moved ahead 2-1/2 pence to 25-1/2 as it said it has received further positive drilling results from its Witvlei project in Namibia, prompting Evolution Securities to keep its 'buy' stance on the stock.

Completing the hat-trick was Lithic Metals which stayed higher, up 1 pence to 7, but slipped from an earlier high of 7-3/4 pence, on the back of encouraging nickel reach results from its Mitaba Hills Project in Zambia.

Intercede Group climbed 6 pence higher to 38-1/2, as the smart card and identity management software maker reported 'excellent' progress in the first-half to end September, adding its sales for the period rose more than 20 pct compared with the year-ago period, while provider of educational qualifications and assessment services Education Development International rose 2-1/2 pence to 37 as it predicted group adjusted operating profit of not less than 2 mln stg for the year.

Positive trading news also lifted Redhall Group 10 pence to 250 as the specialist engineering support services group revealed another year of strong growth and confirmed that full-year results are anticipated to be slightly ahead of market expectations.

Each of the group's three operating divisions has seen material improvement in trading year on year.

Elsewhere, on a more modest note Landround ticked up 1 to 17-1/2 after the AIM-listed rewards programme and promotions group disclosed narrowing losses at the half-way mark, while Lighthouse Group, 2 pence higher to 25, said it did not see any reason for the recent movement in the group's share price, but said current trading remains strong, with full-year results expected to be in line with expectations.

Specialty drug company Vernalis ticked up 2 pence to 17-1/2 after its executive chairman Peter Fellner bought 252,000 shares at 16.25 pence each, lifting his stake to 415,888 shares or 0.133 pct of the company's issued share capital.

Meanwhile, a contract win for Nasstar lifted shares 2-1/2 pence to 38, as the software supplier said it had won a contract of undisclosed value to provide electronic communications and services to Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyGroup.

AIM-listed Nasstar said it would supply easyGroup's easyCar, easyBus,

easyHotel and easyCruise businesses with hosted desktop, hosted exchange email,

hosted BlackBerry and hosted sharepoint services.

The contract is for an initial period of 1 year with an immediate

requirement of more than 130 users subscribing for a combination of Nasstar's

on-demand services, Nasstar said.

Meanwhile car dealership group Lookers shifted up a gear, adding 4-1/4 to 142, following the acquisition of rival Dutton Forshaw Group from Lloyds TSB Asset Finance Division for up to 60 mln stg, prompting KBC Peel Hunt to keep

its 'buy' rating on the stock and 250 pence price target.

In a statement earlier today, the company said the deal comprises a payment

of about 28 mln stg for the entire issued share capital of Dutton Forshaw and

the assumption of a maximum of 32 mln stg of debt.

NEWS BY:

Tracing musical style through technology

Aberdeen academics will employ the techniques of DNA sequencing to look at how music has changed over the centuries.

They are part of an international team successful in securing a £100,000 grant from the Digging into Data project, which supports researchers using computational techniques to change the nature of humanities and social sciences research.

Dr Frauke Jurgensen, a lecturer in music at the University of Aberdeen, will lead the Aberdeen team, working alongside academics from Canada and the USA, to study changes in musical style from 1300 to 1900.

They will employ computational techniques, including those more commonly used in genetics research, to pinpoint transitions in musical style which could ultimately change the way in which we appreciate and perform music from this era.

Dr Jurgensen will focus on Renaissance music, analysing the changes in musical chords and melodic motions using advanced music information retrieval techniques.

She said: “As a singer I have a strong interest in music from a performance perspective, and if you are going to perform or even listen to music then you have to understand it.

“Modern audiences are not going to be familiar with much of the music we are looking at, since we subconsciously build up an understanding of the music we normally listen to.

“Much of the music we are investigating deserves to be performed, and we hope that by developing our understanding of the way it is constructed, we can help modern audiences and musicians to connect to it.”

Dr Jurgensen will use the digitised collections of several large music repositories, including the music of Palestrina and his contemporaries, to extract answers as to how the styles of the composers differ.

She will work with Professor George Coghill, Head of Computing Science at the University of Aberdeen and Dr Ian Knopke from the BBC, with Dr David Smith, Head of Music at the University of Aberdeen, acting in an advisory role.

“The collections we are looking at extend to thousands of pieces and if you were to attempt this kind of analysis by hand it would take many years.

“By using digitised data we are able to use pattern matching techniques similar to those in DNA sequencing to look at both similarities and differences in the music.

“We will be able to pinpoint the way in which a composer writes a piece of music that makes it different from another composer from the same period.

“This way of looking at music should help us to understand not only how this older music works, but also affects our understanding of newer music, which is underpinned by similar concepts.”




NEWS BY:http://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/details-11607.php