• The Observer discovers a tacit Tory policy to allow nurseries to charge parents 'supplementary fees', which would end the guarantee of a free nursery place for all three and four year olds. The move, designed to help struggling nurseries survive, requires the party to drop a code of practice established in 2006 which rules out charging additional fees. Guardian


• On Friday, Ofsted revealed that nearly 900 nurseries and playgroups have shut over the past year. Stakeholders blamed rising fees and the recession; the compulsory 'learning goals' of the 2007 'Early Years Foundation Stage' for driving teachers out of the profession and inadequate state funds. Guardian


• It was announced on Friday that 500 top-performing schools would break free of local council control within months of a Conservative victory. This is likely to put them on a collision course with the National Union of Teachers; the Tories also propose to remove councils' power to veto schools' transformation into academies. Telegraph


• The parties continued to attack each other's education policies yesterday as Cameron joined a rally of local parents who had had their request to open a secondary school of 900 pupils turned down. Balls retorted that creating new schools would mean existing schools have their budgets cut, and that Labour supported the creation of new schools only when there was a proven need for them. Guardian


• Bad sportsmanship is rife among school children - 54% of eight to 16 year olds say they witness rule breaking, such as pretending to be hurt, kicking and swearing, in every sports game they play. Half of parents admit it is their responsibility to deal with their child's unfair play; 28% say it is down to the coach. Guardian


• Two leading figures within Conservative councils have criticised the flagship 'free schools' policy. One commented that he feared the creation of 'destructive' not 'constructive' competition and that money would be diverted from mainstream schools. Telegraph


• The Times Educational Supplement reports that a Liverpool school is releasing peppermint aroma into classrooms and playing sounds of running water and rustling leaves during lessons as part of a study into ways of improving the teaching environment. Guardian


• Anthony Seldon announces the creation of an annual Festival of Education to cultivate debate about education. Speakers confirmed so far include Rory Bremner, Toby Young, two Oxford professors and philosopher A C Grayling. Times


• A former creative director of BBC History launches a multimedia educational website WW2History - after he finds good internet resources on the war in short supply. Times


• An American publishing expert writes a report designed to urge parents not to give up on their children's reading. He recommends children choose their own reading material, which should not be restricted by a book's target age range and that parents must not make reading into a chore. Guardian

• Sutton Trust research finds that 56% of teenagers whose parents had degrees got grades which place them in the top quarter of their peer group; this was the case for just 9% of those whose parents left school without qualifications. Guardian


• Former head of the Confederation of British Industry, Lord Jones, has said that workshy young people who rely on benefits should get off their backsides or be 'starved back to work'. He wants any claimant who turns down three job offers to lose his benefits. Mail


• The party leaders answer questions on The Student Room website about their own student days and activities. BBC

• The Council of Europe, the body monitoring compliance with EU human rights legislation, is to criticise the UK for failing to ban smacking more than 10 years after a 1998 ruling that the practice could violate children's rights. Current law prohibits the use of force against children but gives adults in the home and in some part-time schools and religious institutions defence against the charge of assault. Guardian


• A coalition of leading academics and charities such as Barnardos and Save the Children addressed a letter to the leaders of the main parties yesterday calling for the setting of a 'fairness test' to assess the impact of any tax rises or cuts on the poorest in society. Guardian


• Government figures show that over 7,000 parents are being convicted every year over their children's truancy. Critics accuse Labour of failing to get a grip on the underlying causes of truancy, such as low academic achievement. Mail


• The annual Sunday Times Rich List showed that the combined value of Britain's 1,000 richest people rose by 30% to £333.5bn last year. This is lower than the 2008 peak but over three times greater than in 1997, when their combined wealth was less than £100bn. Guardian


• Errors at fertility clinics have almost doubled in 12 months from 182 in 2007/8 to 334 in 2008/9. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the IVF regulatory body, said the errors represented less than 1% of 50,000 IVF cycles undergone. Guardian


• A recent arson attack which killed two young children has been compared to the Fiona Pilkington case, as it is revealed that the family had made longstanding complaints to police about anti-social behaviour. Times

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