After them University College London, Warwick, Lancaster, Durham, Loughborough and Imperial College consists of the list which made the top ten. The ranking is done on the basis of several criteria like spending per student, student –staff ratio, future career of the graduates, the requisite of grades to get in, the satisfaction of the students throughout their academic life etc.

Almost all the universities have decided to charge the maximum tuition fees of £9,000 in autumn 2012. This is for almost all the universities regardless of their position in the league table. London Metropolitan University which seats at the bottom of the list proposes to charge £4500-£9,000 for their degree.

All the universities in the bottom 20 also intends to charge about £9,000 for some of their courses like the top ranked universities. All the top ranked institutes has decided to charge the students £9,000 for all of their courses.

The first university that provides the students with the opportunity to pursue a graduation degree in less than £9,000 is the 48th ranked Sunderland University. The top positions in the league table are conquered by the old universities but the new universities have also shown promises by improving their positions from the last year’s league table.

The list shows that there is a direct relation between the universities’ spending on each student and its position in the list and the satisfaction level among the students.

But, the question remains; are these the only factors those influence students decision regarding the choice of higher education institute? In this competitive world, students are always pursuing opportunities and degrees that will help them to stand out of the crowd in the highly crowded job market.

Due to this phenomenon the education managers should realize the significance and necessity for proposing the students the education that will be most suited to fulfill the students desire to stand out of the crowd. And the best solution for the institutes is to make the education much integrated with the business.

The idea of merging business and higher education is not a very new concept; in many degrees it is obligatory to have a certain amount of professional attachment before the final degree is awarded. But the new feature of this arrangement can be the introduction of real world professional training and experience in academic courses which previously were strictly academic.

Today an increasing number of universities are initiating partnerships with professional organizations in order to attach professional accreditation in every phase of the educational degree.

Southampton Solent University Business School for instance, is adeptly offering courses which are also accredited with the recognition of the Chartered Institute of Marketing upon completion. This provides the students with the opportunity of studying for professional accreditation without any additional toil from a widely accepted standard of aptitude.

Besides, these professional courses are conducted by professionals involved in the respective sector which provides the students with the scope of having relevant business contacts and valuable networking within the professional world.

Moreover in a highly competitive market this help students to have learning and attitude that can be directly used in the favor of the institute, considering the aforementioned attributes the educational institutes should surely look for professional bodies that support and meet such demand of the students.

The universities of UK are failing largely in order to make their graduates compatible with the highly competitive contemporary world because of their unfit teaching and old-fashioned methods. In order to change the scenario the radical modernization of the lectures and the facilities is required and it will also provide some logical backing to the decision of increasing the tuition fees.

Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland currently pay up to £3,225 in tuition fees a year but many universities want a rise in the cap or even its removal. But with the status quo it will be very hard for the authority to keep the campus under control when the decision fee rise is inflicted on the students.

When communicated with the students many disturbing stories about the education system comes up; which includes but not limited to issues like academic work not coming back, unavailability of the tutors when required. After the initial outburst among the students regarding the fee increase students of some other universities who were primarily silent to this situation have come forward in protesting the fact that quality of the teaching has not increased albeit the rise in tuition fees.

For example in Bristol University 600 students reading economics and finance signed such a complaint when they saw that they had the same reduced teaching hours and their essays were being marked by undergraduate students in lieu of lecturers but they had a tuition fee rise of more than £3,000 in 2006.

If this situation continues another student rebellion is imminent. And the previous scenario suggests us that Vice chancellors are not in a very strong position to handle the pressure if the students raise their voice against the universities failure to provide the students with quality education that will be sufficient to give the students feeling that they are getting the value for their money.

The importance of journals cannot be overlooked. For researchers in every academic discipline it is obligatory to have publications in different leading journals of the respective disciplines to have reputation and shining career prospects. Besides the personal interests the funding arrangement for research in UK and elsewhere now largely depends on the publication of the leading academics in different top notch journals.

So importance of publication is humongous. But, the fact that bothers everyone is the cost associated with the subscription to the leading journals. For example, an annual subscription to Tetrahedron, a leading journal on chemistry costs a university library $20,269 (£12,600).

In this process majority of the reputed British universities are giving away between £4m and £6m annually to different leading publishers who seems to have a monopoly in this area of business. The more shocking fact is that the leading publishers like Elsevier don’t even pay the writer for their content.

As the academicians are paid the salaries from the money of the people, so indirectly the general people are paying for the publications too. But, the general people are being pushed to pay for buying the same journals which were funded by them from the very inception.

People has been keeping pace with this irrational phenomenon for a long time now, but presently Tim Gowers a recipient of the Fields medal has revealed in a blog post that he would be standing against this chaos. His first step is that from now on he will not be submitting any journals to those so called leading journals.

His post has created a buzz that is huge. Thousands of readers have concurred to this initiative. Even a website titled The Cost of Knowledge, has been established where academics can post their complaints against such costly procedure. And the light of hope is that already 9000 academics have shown their solidarity by posting there

Friends of an 18-year-old university student missing since last month have spoken of their despair after his body was found in the Serpentine.

Yen Zhen Anthony Soh, known as Anthony, was last seen on March 22 after an evening drinking with friends at Imperial College student union in South Kensington.

His family launched a campaign through Facebook, Twitter and the media to help find the first-year mechanical engineering student.

Some 3,000 people signed up to the Facebook group. But yesterday police divers pulled the body of a man from the lake in Hyde Park. It is yet to be formally identified but is thought to be that of Anthony.

Lin Yang, a friend of his brother Jeff, posted a message of Facebook saying: “Jeff is now with his immediate family, there will be no further searching. Ant’s body has been found.”

Anthony’s other brother Justin called the student “an amazing brother” and told those who had joined the Facebook campaign: “Thank you for every-thing you people have done, even being a member has let us know how much you care for Anthony.”

Friends reported Anthony missing on March 23 when he failed to appear at lectures. Electronic records showed he had not used his swipe card at his halls of residence, Wilson House in Paddington. The body was found by a Hyde Park boat worker yesterday morning.

He said: “We had customers on the lake and someone pointed out there was something. It was floating on the other side of the island. It was caught on one of the chains. We knew there was someone missing and there was a possibility they were in the lake.”

A police cordon was created around the area. Detectives said the death was being treated as “unexplained”.

Friends posted messages on Facebook in tribute to the teenager, whose parents live in Gillingham. Chris Rowlands wrote to Anthony’s brother: “I think you can be proud of such a wonderful man, and hold your head high when calling him your brother.

“Anthony was an amazing human being, and your entire family has coped incredibly well in the last two weeks. We are all here for you for whatever you need.”

Anthony hasn’t been seen since Tuesday and is missing in London. Everyone been great at passing the message in their status, this might be another way to spread word quickly. Please add all your friends to this group and spread awareness!!!

Also, please DO NOT TRY CONTACT HIS MOBILE: his family have his phone, so please do not call or text it. thank you.

Heres the info from the university site:

The College is concerned about the whereabouts of Anthony Soh (also known as Yen) who is a first year Mechanical Engineering student at Imperial. He was last seen in the Students’ Union bar in Beit Quad on the South Kensington Campus (Prince Consort Road SW7 2BB) at 23.00 on Tuesday evening (22 March) and is believed to have left there to return to his accommodation in Wilson House close to Paddington station (Sussex Gardens, W2 1UF).

The police are treating Anthony Soh as a missing person and are appealing for information. Anthony is described as oriental, with short, dark hair. He was last seen wearing a checked blue/white/green hooded top, blue jeans, a purple t-shirt and blue suede plimsolls.

The College urges anyone who may be able to help to contact the Marylebone Police Station on 0300 123 1212 quoting the reference 11MIS009968. Or contact via email at cw-misperunit@met.police.uk

Police have released CCTV footage of people they wish to interview after Prince Charles’s car was attacked during December’s student protests.

The Metropolitan Police have issued the pictures taken from cameras in the Regent Street and Oxford Circus area of London on Thursday 9 December.

A convoy, including a car carrying the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall, was attacked in the area.

The protests were in response to the rise in tuition fees.

The Met’s Operation Malone team is investigating the violence in the capital that day.

Police say the newly-released images and footage show a woman striking the royal car and causing damage to one of the convoy vehicles.

In one picture, the woman is seen with a man, whom police also wish to trace as a potential witness.

Officers are also keen to trace two men seen separately attacking the royal car.

Det Ch Supt Matthew Horne, who is leading the Operation Malone team, said: “We believe that most of the people whose pictures we have released may have committed serious offences of violent disorder and criminal damage in this area and urge them, or anybody who knows them, to come forward and speak to us.

“We understand the importance of the right to protest, but people who break the law and endanger those who wish to protest peacefully by committing criminal offences must face the inevitable consequences of their actions.

“I would like to remind anybody involved in attacks of violence that we will investigate them and do everything in our power to bring them before a court.

“Those who are convicted of an offence will have to face the consequences of having a criminal record, which could have a potential impact on their future employment and travel.”

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were travelling to the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in a distinctive Rolls-Royce Phantom VI when the incident occurred.

Their car was surrounded by as many as 20 demonstrators on Regent Street. One of the vehicle’s windows was smashed and paint was thrown at it.

At least three metal dustbins were also hurled at two other cars in the convoy and the duchess was poked in the ribs through an open window. White paint was also thrown over the vehicle.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson ordered an internal review into the incident, which has been presented to Home Secretary Theresa May.

Operation Malone detectives are collating and trawling through hours of CCTV and footage gathered by police during the protests, to identify people for potential prosecution.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) has been continuing to take loan repayments for months after former students paid off their debts, it has been revealed.

About 57,000 graduates are waiting for refunds after excess payments were taken out of their wage packets.

Consumer organisation Which? discovered from a freedom of information request that £15m had been overpaid this year.

SLC said it could not work out the amounts repaid until employers filed their annual tax returns.

“The result is that there is a time lag,” it explained in a statement, “And some borrowers nearing the end of their repayments are likely to overpay.”

‘Complete disgrace’
Dougie Mackintosh paid his loan off in June, but the £98 deductions were still being made four months later.

“When yet another payment came off in October I pretty much hit the ceiling,” the Inverness-based 29 year old energy surveyor told the BBC.

Each month, Mr Mackintosh had complained about the extra repayments, only to be told that a “stop notice” had been sent to the tax office, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which manages the deductions from pay.

But HMRC claimed to have heard nothing from SLC.

“It’s a complete disgrace,” said Mr Mackintosh. “They seem to be totally incompetent.”

The £15m overpaid by former students to SLC this year is up from £9m in 2009.

Revamp

Which? found some ex-students were still having deductions made 11 months after their loans were repaid.

Others have had to wait long periods to have their money refunded. In one case, it took six months for the funds to be returned and even then some of the refund was missing.

Mr Mackintosh’s problems have become even worse.

Last weekend he received a further letter from the loans company, informing him that they would start deductions from his salary shortly. Yet his whole debt had already been cleared.

“I need the full pay packet for buying Christmas presents, and now it’s as if I hadn’t been paying in the first place.”

SLC has revamped the system so that former students can switch their repayments to direct debit in the last two years of repaying their loans, and it has asked 68,000 eligible ex-students if they’d like to make the change.

“Switching to direct debit means you can choose your monthly repayment date and we can make sure your repayments stop at exactly the right time,” SLC said.

Which? is urging SLC to ensure that former students are not kept in debt for longer than they need to be.

“Paying off a debt is a stressful experience,” says Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith, “So the last thing people need is to find that they’ve been paying out more than they needed to.”

Two primary school teachers have been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.

Both of the male teachers, aged 37 and 43, who teach at separate schools in Solihull in the West Midlands, were arrested in Monkspath. Since then both have been suspended until further notice.

A police spokesman said: “At this stage… there is nothing to suggest any physical contact between the suspects and the children.”

They were bailed for further inquiries and for seized property to be examined.

The older man teaches at St Patrick’s School in Earlswood, while the 37-year-old works at Monkspath School in Shirley.

Solihull Borough Council will shortly be contacting parents whose children attend the schools to inform them directly of the arrests, the police spokesman added.

Letters are being sent out and arrangements being made to offer parents advice and information.

Solihull Council has set-up an advice line for concerned parents.

Det Ch Supt Gareth Morgan, head of West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: “This inquiry is still in its very early stages and at this time it is important to emphasise that both men have been arrested for possessing images.”

He added: “This is clearly a very sensitive case which will raise many questions among parents.

“It is an immediate priority to reassure them by providing as much information as and when we can to answer those questions.”

“To do that effectively we will progress the investigation as thoroughly and quickly as possible and continue to engage with families and the wider community.”

Durham University was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837. It was one of the first universities to open in England for more than 600 years, and is claimed to be England’s third oldest after Oxford and Cambridge.

Durham is a collegiate university, with its main functions divided between the central departments of the University and 16 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide centralised lectures to students, while the colleges are responsible for the domestic arrangements and welfare of undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral researches and some University staff. Colleges decide which students they are to admit, and appoint their own fellows (senior members). In Durham, “the university” often refers to the University as opposed to the colleges.

“Long established as a leading alternative to Oxford and Cambridge”, the University attracts “a largely middle and higher class student body” according to the Times Good University Guide. The latest University League Table 2010 published by The Complete University Guide ranked Durham 5th in the UK after Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and LSE. The University was also named Sunday Times University of the Year in 2005, having previously been shortlisted for the award in 2004.

The Chancellor of the University is Bill Bryson, appointed by the University’s Convocation on 4 April 2005. The post-nominal letters of graduates have “Dunelm” attached to indicate the university.

Residential life

Durham requires its students to live in college for the first year of their undergraduate life, with students ‘living-out’ in their second year and then having the option to move back into college, usually via a ballot system. The Colleges provide a key role in the pastoral care and social centre of students with each running a college tutorial system, along with JCRs providing events and societies for undergraduate members, MCRs being a centre for postgraduate students and the SCRs for the college officers, fellows and tutors. Each college has a unique identity and a variety of facilities for students ranging from computer rooms and libraries to tennis courts and gyms. Most colleges have their own sports teams and compete in the collegiate leagues such as Durham College Rowing and have their own theatre company and orchestra which operate parallel to the university level sports teams and organizations.

Student organizations and media

Approximately 130 student clubs and organizations run on Durham’s campus. These include numerous student government, special interest, and service organizations. Durham Students’ Union (DSU) charters and provides most of the funding for these organizations, and represents students’ interests when dealing with the administration. The DSU also operates events based in Dunelm house ranging from club nights such as Planet of Sound, Revolver (alternative & indie), Twisted (underground electronic) and the Jazz café. The DSU also runs a Comedy Café, Fresher’s Ball, Silent Discos and Vintage fashion fair amongst others.

Palatinate, Durham’s independent student run fortnightly newspaper, has been continually published since 1948. Notable former editors include George Alagiah, Hunter Davies, Piers Merchant, Timothy Laurence, Jeremy Vine and Harold Evans. Purple Radio is the online radio station founded in 2005 and is the University recognised radio station. The station operates from Dunelm House and is run by student volunteers. Student views and opinions are represented by Durham21, an independent student website, founded in 2001, which has won the NUS Website of the Year Award in five of the last six years and is also the current holder. the fun and beautiful journal is a termly magazine which publishes poetry, stories, photography and artwork submitted by students. After the Palatinate it is Durham’s largest printed publication.