branwenjeffreys, bbc news, counry durham.study of our planet's highest ice core called south col, is the first to indicate how vulnerable the himalayan glaciers are to climate change. a billion people depend on the himalayan mountain range for their drinking water. now it's time for a look at the weather with alina jenkins. hello. it's a wet and windy afternoon for many, the best of any sunshine across the far east and southeast of england. meanwhile, for scotland, snow becomes an increasing hazard over the next 21! hours, this cold front sliding its way south and eastwards, the snow showers piling into scotland. notice the squeeze in the isobars, so we've got some strong winds to deal with through this afternoon and into tomorrow. gusts perhaps 50, 55 mph for some western coasts. for many, it's milder compared to yesterday, butjust mid—single figures as a high across scotland. and here further snow showers piling in through the evening and overnight. coupled with those gusty winds, we're likely to see blizzards. this band of

our education editor, branwenjeffreys, joins me.ound minimum academic standards? it’s expectations around minimum academic standards? �* , expectations around minimum academic standards? �*, ., ., standards? it's part of a wider debate about _ standards? it's part of a wider debate about who _ standards? it's part of a wider debate about who should - standards? it's part of a wider debate about who should go l standards? it's part of a wider| debate about who should go to university and should there be a minimum level of having done well at school before you get there, so ministers are going to ask, should there be either gcse maths and english as a threshold or a minimum of two es at a level? the vast majority of university students are above that threshold so this is a political signal to universities to say, we are going to keep up the pressure to raise the standards on some courses. tomorrow we are going to see far more substantial range of issues addressing the really big question, which is only around a quarter of people who g

our education editor branwenjeffreys has been speaking to teenagers in barnsley about their experiences gracie is still struggling with anxiety. you cry and have, like, a ball in your chest. it's like that, but constantly. so even if you don't cry, even if you don't get that upset, even just having time to think, you just couldn't make it go away, just calm down. we were getting used to the habit that we weren't going to school, really. and we weren't doing work. at rock bottom, harley lost his self esteem. it was very uncomfortable. i think some of us had put some weight on because there was nowt to do in the house. how can i help you today? i was sent for a well—being meeting. it just gives you somewhere to basically sort of breathe. this year, their school has set up a mental health support centre. there is day—to—day advice, but they also assess risk. some are referred for counselling or nhs help. likejoe, who became severely depressed. i think it has affected me mentally a lot, because i struggled a lot in the two years that we've had. i felt very isolated. and like, hopeless, almo

elain dunkley, bbc news. 0ur education editor branwenjeffreys is with me.ity of exams, is that a return to this? we the hard reality of exams, is that a return to this?— return to this? we are at the start ofthe return to this? we are at the start of the journey _ return to this? we are at the start of the journey back _ return to this? we are at the start of the journey back to _ return to this? we are at the start of the journey back to them - return to this? we are at the start| of the journey back to them so this is a halfway house this summer in which we can expect to see results bumped down halfway towards where they were in 2019. we have seen some exceptional grades in the last couple of years with the system of teacher assessed grades in which essentially pupils got the benefit of the doubt so we had almost twice as many students for example getting a in a—level exams than before the pandemic. so we're going to see a readjustment part of the way to take into account the is still disruption this year and it means the grades this year and it means the

alternatives to university — like apprenticeships or other higher qualifications. 0ur education editor branwenjeffreysf a very big plan, which is about the future of study for all over 18s, whether they go on to do higher technical qualification or whether they study at university. there is a clear push from ministers to try and divert some students into thinking about their options more widely. so, they want to make sure that they're consulting fully on a proposal that no one who doesn't have either two es at a—level or gcse and maths at... and maths, gcse english and maths, won't get access to student loans. now, they say that this should prevent people going to university who won't do well and get a decentjob. they also suggest that some courses may not be offering good value for money in terms of where they go after and they don't lead to employment and because they don't pay off their loans in full, we as taxpayers end up picking up the pill. so more on this —— picking up the pill. so more on this —— picking up the bill. we expect more tomorrow. up the bill. we expect more tomorrow— it's one of t

labour says the changes will hit those on low incomes the hardest. 0ur education editor, branwenjeffreyshe changes. well, tuition fees are going _ talk us through the changes. well, tuition fees are going to _ talk us through the changes. well, tuition fees are going to be - talk us through the changes. -tt tuition fees are going to be frozen for a couple of years which might feel like good new, to too future students but if you are starting next year, in 200323 you will most likely start repaying sooner as soon as you start earning £25,000 as a graduate. you likely to repay much more than under the current system, and you will be repaying for a lot longer, forfor a0 years instead of 30. who does this affect most7 longer, forfor a0 years instead of 30. who does this affect most? the middle earners, like middle managers or teachers who will take the biggest hit in repayments, facing the prospects of still repaying their own student loans, when their children start going to university. the very highest earners, so think about people like lawyer, doctor, financier, they are going to see a s

our education editor branwenjeffreys is at a university in east london and explained the details of theng about their options more widely. so they want to make sure that they are consulting fully on a proposal which is that no one who doesn't have either to ease at a level or g csc and maths won't be able to get access to student loans. they say that they should prevent people going to university who would do well, going to get it decentjob. they also suggest that some courses may not be offering good value for money for students in terms of where they go afterwards, that they don't lead them on into employment. and because they don't pay off their loans in full, we as taxpayers end “p loans in full, we as taxpayers end up picking up the bill. so more on this we are expecting tomorrow. a bbc investigation has found evidence of child grooming and sexual behaviour on apps that allow people to interact using virtual reality headsets. yannis ppc charity says it shocked and angered by the revelations which is far concerns about children safety and the so—called meta— verse. this report by an

more mixing, more extra—curricular activities, more fun.our education editor branwenjeffreys has beenool has a full—time mental health expert. i think lots of us have felt trapped in the last two years with covid at times. she is trained by the charity place2be to help children focus on the positives, building their coping skills. that is fabulous, thank you. they don't remember pre—masks. she told me, last term, her team of counsellors saw almost 100 children, as many as they usually see in a whole year. rebuilding that sense ofjoy and rebuilding that sense of wanting to look forward to things. so that is the work they are doing now, and parents can help. sit down and say, how are you feeling today? is there anything you need today? what might make you smile today? try and encourage them to try new things, be brave, rememberwhat makes your child happy. focus on your child as unique. what do you know makes your child smile? what makes them laugh, what makes them excited, and what makes them feel secure? started going back swimming, which is, the kids are over the moon. one of the mums