Scot reform welcomed

Wendy Alexander, Scotland's enterprise and lifelong learning minister, has praised the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's "good progress" in revising proposals to reform teaching funding, writes Olga Wojtas.

Last week, a report by the enterprise and lifelong learning committee demanded an independent review body to produce a new scheme. Shefc will come under scrutiny in Ms Alexander's review of higher education, amid growing debate over the need for national planning.

Among groups lobbying Ms Alexander are modern language experts who warn that Stirling University's decision last week to axe Japanese studies highlights the lack of a national strategy for foreign languages.

Gordon Millan, chair of the Universities Council of Modern Languages Scotland and head of Strathclyde University's department of modern languages, said lesser-taught languages and languages in general were suffering from inadequate funding and doubts over future funding.