1. Parliament on half-term recess 10- 22 February 2010
Parliament went on half-term recess this Wednesday 10 February. Parliament will re-open for business on Monday 22 February.
2. Universities UK report advocates courses for the over-50s
Universities must offer suitable courses for people aged over 50, a Universities UK report says. The study says that the ageing population in the UK "offers higher education institutions a serious challenge".
3. Ofqual publishes open letter on new A* grade at A level
Ofqual has published an open letter on the awarding of the new A* grade at A level.
The grade, which is said to reward exceptional performance, will be awarded from this summer. The grade has long been advocated by certain Russell Group universities, who argue that it allows for been differentiation between high-performing students.
Ofqual, in the letter, set out how the A* grade is to be awarded and the approach being taken to ensure fairness and parity across all grades with awards given in previous years.