Huddled in blankets and shivering in the snow, survivors of history's most notorious death camp returned and bowed their heads in tribute to the 1.5 million people who were slaughtered there.

One in four boys aged 14 to 17 has been classified as a serious or prolific offender by a Home Office study.

Children will be given compulsory history lessons about great British heroes such as Lord Nelson, Sir Francis Drake and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, under Conservative plans to restore respect for the nation's heritage.

The University of Oxford is to cut the number of British undergraduates it admits and "vigorously" recruit more foreign students, who pay the full cost of their degrees.

All 12-year-olds at a comprehensive are to be told that homework is being scrapped because teachers have better things to do than mark it.

John Clare answers your queries on A-levels: why now? revision courses and detecting dyslexia

Leading universities have been accused of letting down students by offering as little as four hours teaching a week for some courses.

Rachel Johnson on a classy way to give

Ruth Kelly has confirmed that she is receiving 'spiritual guidance' from the Roman Catholic Opus Dei movement, but denied that its conservative view on issues such as abortion would limit her role in government.

ONE of Scotland's last active steamships has had its long-term future secured after being thrown a cash lifeline by the Scottish Executive.

THE BBC is heading for another showdown with Labour after a government-appointed panel said the corporation's board of governors should be replaced with an independent regulator.

BANKS and consumer groups last night demanded urgent reform of the stamp duty system after new figures showed homebuyers will be taxed £4.3 billion this year - nine times higher than 11 years ago.

PARTS of central Edinburgh will be turned into virtual no-go areas in the biggest police operation ever mounted in Scotland when world leaders gather for the G8 summit in July, it emerged yesterday.

LABOUR identifies a new target voter - the busy female with little time to spare, but a vital interest in which party runs the country.

HOME-OWNERS relying on rising house prices as a pension are ruining the chances of young people getting on the property ladder, according to a think tank.

THE Countryside Alliance yesterday lost its High Court bid to overturn the ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales.

THE government has agreed to pay £45,000 compensation to a Kosovan family of four unlawfully deported after they claimed asylum.

THE Scottish Executive was accused last night of trying to poach London's best teachers after launching a new recruitment campaign south of the Border.

THE furniture giant IKEA may scale down the size of its stores in future to try to get round planning problems.