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NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH? JUST LOWER THE STANDARDS
University places will be offered to "disadvantaged" pupils with examination grades lower than minimum course requirements under a new national scheme. The Government-funded project will produce guidelines to "operate across the higher education sector" to give sixth formers from working-class and ethnic-minority backgrounds an advantage in the increasingly competitive admissions process. (Source: Sunday Telegraph, Apr/06)

KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS
Werther's Original is pensioning off its TV ad grandfather in a bid to get rid of the "old people's toffee" image. The makers believe that after 10 years the white-haired man who gives the sweets to his grandson is out-of-touch with younger people. Trade marketing manager George McLearie, for makers Bendicks, said, "We are trying to retain our very loyal customers while bringing in lapsed and new users."

SEXUAL CONTENT ON THE UP
Newspapers and magazines with sexual content are to be moved to higher shelves under new guidelines. The advice being issued to 19,000 newsagents is to display such magazines out of the sight of children. The guidelines do not name any magazines but titles such as Loaded, Nuts and Zoo are likely to be included. Diane Abbott, the MP for Hackney in east London said, "You cannot sell cigarettes to children, you cannot sell glue to children, but you can sell hardcore porn to children." Since when has Loaded, Nuts and Zoo been classed as hardcore porn? The deal, struck between newsagents and Home Office officials, is not legally binding but trading standards will be able to reprimand offending outlets. How, if it's not legally binding? (Source: BBC News, Mar/06)

BORED WITH £5 MILLION
Council engineer George Ross, of Thorntonhall, near East Kilbride, quit his job after winning £5,372,481 on the Lottery in 2004. He and his wife bought a £750,000 mansion, a new BMW and planned to travel the world but he got bored. He has now returned as a civil engineer with the local council in Hamilton, near Glasgow, even though the interest from his win is more than 10 times his £400-a-week take-home pay. (Source: Sunday Mirror, Mar/06)

STANDING ROOM ONLY
Chair-free classrooms where pupils stand for hours a day are being introduced after a study found that they could lead to substantial weight loss. Rather than sitting at traditional desks, children will use "lean and move bays", where they work on laptop computers, white boards and vertical screens. Cushions on the floor will be provided, but only for short breaks. The pupils will spend an average of five hours a day standing. Who'll be the first to scream, "Human Rights"? (Source: Daily Telegraph, Mar/06)

MIND HOW YOU GO
Three schoolboys were warned by police for taking a photo of a lamp post. Danny Finn and his friends were stopped as they walked home from school, they were spoken to, and Danny was handed paperwork which reads: Reason for stop: ‘Was seen taking photos of lamp post . . . advice given’. His friends were also given an official note which states: ‘Hanging around lamp post . . . spoken to’. Kent Police confirmed the boys were spoken to because they were “taking pictures of graffiti”. They said it was Home Office rules to hand out paperwork recording the time, date and reason a person is stopped and spoken to. (Source: The Sun, Mar/06)

RAMPANT RABBIT GIVEN A ROGERING
Rudolf Gibbs had not been sleeping with his wife and was angry after finding a Rampant Rabbit vibrator hidden at their home. He burst into his wife’s bedroom with the sex toy and challenged her about it, saying, ‘Why don’t you use it now?’ then he damaged it. Gibbs was charged with causing criminal damage after his furious wife called in police. He pleaded guilty to one charge of causing £38 worth of criminal damage to the toy and was given a six-month conditional discharge. (Source: The Sun, Mar/06)

TAKING A DIM VIEW OF STREET LIGHTING
Council leaders in Stockport, Greater Manchester, need to save £10million and want to cut costs by turning off every other street light between 12.30am and 5am. MP Ann Coffey said, "Council tax payers have a right to expect universal services, including street lighting. If the council fails to do that, I suggest they turn the lights out in the town hall and go home." Rachel O'Brien, a member of Stockport's Crime Reduction Partnership, said, "Street lighting is important because it can help reduce criminal activity and it is welcoming to people if they are moving about at night."

However, councillor Sue Derbyshire defended the scheme saying, "Energy costs have gone up dramatically this winter and that was the trigger point for asking can we get better out of what we have got. The intention is to improve lighting by moving away from orange glow lights to brighter white lights across the borough, and then consider cutting back some lights in consultation with residents." (Source: Daily Mirror, Mar/06)

CATHOLIC PUPILS PRAY TO ALLAH
Pupils, aged 13 and 14, at St Richard Gwyn RC High School, in Barry, South Wales, were given prayer mats and compasses to find East, the direction of Mecca. They were then told how to kneel and bow their heads like faithful Muslims. Head of RE Nicola Price said “empathy” lessons in different faiths had long been on the curriculum but the parent of one of the pupils said, “We chose to send our children to a Catholic school. We don’t expect them to come home saying they have been praying to Allah. I’m sure Muslims would be quite offended if it was the other way round.” (Source: The Sun, Mar/06)

WHO MAKES THESE DECISIONS?
The Sentencing Guidelines Council recommends that rapists' sentences are slashed by up to 15% because prison is tougher. The SGC is made up mainly of judges but also of police and probation experts. It issues guidelines to courts to help encourage consistent sentencing "supported by information on effectiveness of sentences and on the most effective use of resources". The council, which is paid for by the Home Office, says rape sentences should be cut because the overcrowded prison regime is "more demanding". Although ministers can comment on SGC recommendations they cannot block them. (Source: Daily Mirror, Mar/06)

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