By BBC News
Staff
Several papers assess the readiness of schools in England as nine million children prepare to return.
are being forced to weigh pupil safety against financial stability, according to The Guardian’s lead – which says budgets are being stretched to breaking point because of Covid-19 measures.
The head teacher of one primary school in Devon explains that he would have liked to have had a cleaner on the site to cover shared spaces.
But, he says, it would have cost £15,000 and he is struggling to balance his budget after many years of cuts.
The government tells The Guardian that schools in England are benefiting from a three-year cash boost.
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Yet the guidance advises teachers against shouting because of the increased risk of spreading the virus and recommends they should use microphones instead.
It says business groups and some Conservative MPs have reacted with horror to reports of a corporation tax hike – suggesting it would prompt top talent to leave the country and undermine investment.
Some Tories are said to be particularly worried that measures to repair the economic damage could lead to the party parroting Labour’s policies.
The Treasury has refused to rule out tax rises, saying these are issues for the Budget.
Art experts say that a picture of a weary old man, rejected as a fake Rembrandt, may in fact have been painted by the artist after all.
The work, which dates from the 17th century, spent nearly 40 years in the museum’s basement after it was deemed to be the work of an imitator.
It was only rescued after analysis showed it came from the same wood panel as another painting by the Dutch master.