David Cameron pledges a Conservative government would not cut funding-per-pupil in English schools
But Labour accuses him of a real terms cut when inflation is taken into account
Ed Miliband hits back at Boots boss Stefano Pessina after his attack on the party on Sunday
Leading universities criticise Labour plans to cut student tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000
There are 94 days to go until the General Election on 7 May
Rolling coverage from the BBC's political team - from Today and Breakfast through to Newsnight and Today in Parliament
Watch/listen to today's programmes by clicking on the 'Live Coverage' tab or the pick of the day by via 'Key Video' tab
And on the subject of young voters, if you or someone you know are aged between 18 and 24 and eligible to vote in May's General Election, the BBC wants to hear from you - but hurry, the application deadline is tonight. We are building Generation 2015, a UK-wide group of young voters who will take part in local and national BBC programmes in the run up to the General Election in May.
Newsbeat
"If the politicians know you're not registered to vote and can't punish them at the ballot box it's much easier for them to let you down." As Newsbeat reports, Bite the Ballot believes it's so important young people vote it is holding events to get 18 to 24-year-olds signed up to the electoral register and encourage turnout. Did you know an estimated 44% of that age group voted in the 2010 general election?
By the way, 5 February is National Voter Registration Day, external.
Image source, Bite
Chris Mason
Political correspondent, BBC News
Image source, Associated PressAfter Boots boss Stefano Pessina's comments over the weekend saying Labour would not be helpful for business, how was the party to respond? "It was a blunt, headline-grabbing intervention that left Ed Miliband's party with three options... Say nothing... Find some equally big bosses who will say the opposite.... Or say something and ensure the story does not go away, but hope to steer it around to the party's own perspective," writes our political correspondent.
The Guardian
The Guardian is reporting that Scottish labour leader Jim Murphy, external and former PM Gordon Brown will on Monday pledge that a Labour government would radically extend Scotland's powers over welfare.
The paper says the expected intervention comes following speculation Mr Brown is to take a prominent role in his party's general election campaign.
Image source, PAThe row between Labour and Boots chief Stefano Pessina is set to get bigger with Ed Miliband planning on adding his criticism at an event later, sources have told the BBC. Over the weekend, Mr Pessina said a Labour government would "not be helpful for business and not be helpful for the country".
BBC Radio 4 Today
"They create a sense of energy and momentum". The Labour Deputy leader Harriet Harman is to revive the grand tradition of the election battle bus. With Labour's women and equalities spokesperson Gloria del Piero she'll tour the country as a way of reaching female voters. Jonathan Collet, Michael Howard's press secretary during the 2005 campaign, says "they work".
Matthew Price
BBC News
Could this place turn Green in spring? Norwich South is high up on the Green party's target list for the general election. One voter told me the fact that different parties are in the mix this time round will encourage her to vote for who she really wants.
(Read more on the Today programme's 100 Constituencies feature in our 06:58 entry.)
Sky News is launching its #AskTheLeaders event today aimed at those age 16-25. Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Natalie Bennett will all attend. Find more on this Facebook page, external.
Image source, facebookBBC Radio 4 Today
David Laws says the government has "designed a system... that is highly progressive and the evidence is that it is helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."
BBC Radio 4 Today
The prime minister is speeding up the conversion of schools in England to academies, outside local government control. If they're judged by inspectors to be "requiring improvement" they could be forced to convert to academy status. At the moment only schools judged "inadequate" can be compelled to become academies.
David Laws, a Lib Dem, is the minister of state for schools and education, and says the evidence so far is that many of the early sponsor academies are doing a good job, but the converter academies (where little else changes other than the name plate on the door) "at the moment there isn't the evidence that they are doing better".
BBC Radio 4 Today
The cost to the taxpayer of universities is being "hidden off budget, below the line", says shadow chancellor Ed Balls. Hear him on the Today programme.
BBC Radio 4 Today
tweets, external: Green Party MP Caroline Lucas on approach to the general election: #r4today #GE2015
Image source, Matthew DavisBBC Radio 4 Today
More from Caroline Lucas, who after ruling out any kind of coalition agreement with the Tories, says: "Our membership is going through the roof, it's doubled in less than a year... The Greens inspire vision and confidence."
BBC Radio 4 Today
Image source, PAIt always used to be said that smaller parties would never get into government. But look what happened to the Liberal Democrats. And given the way the polls look for this election, a coalition is even more likely. The Today programme is looking at 100 constituencies in 100 days in the run up to the election. Today we've been focusing on the Greens (see 06:58). Caroline Lucas is their one MP, for Brighton Pavilion. She told the programme: "I want to be known as a good, local MP."
tweets, external: Ed Balls eat 3 shredded wheat for breakfast? Fighting talk on universities and Boots' tax exile boss. Love to see Osborne v Balls TV debate
Nick Robinson
Political editor
tweets, external: Is @edballsmp planning to use "accounting wheeze" to "pay for" £3k tuition fee cut costing approx £2bn? Needs big change to Treasury rules
and
tweets:, external Under current Treasury rules the cost of cutting tuition fees appears on the books but the future cost of unpaid student debt does not
BBC Radio 4 Today
The leaders of universities in England have written to the Times, external criticising Labour's policy of reducing university fees from £9000 to £6000. Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls says he "understands why universities want to keep the status quo" but the "status quo is not working at the moment". "We've see graduate contributions go up over 50%," but, he adds, it is costing the tax payer more not less. "Almost half of students are not repaying the fees," as they do not earn enough to repay their loans. This is being hidden off budget below the line and is a huge looming charge for the tax payer in the future, he warns.
Norman Smith
BBC Assistant Political Editor
tweets, external: Labour say "lot of public resentment" over Boots boss 'catastrophe' comments and "this is an argument we can win"
Gillian Hargreaves
Education Correspondent, BBC News
In uncompromising language David Cameron will warn that any future Conservative government will in his words "wage war on mediocrity", saying teachers who deliver "just enough - aren't good enough".Approximately 3,500 schools are rated by government inspectors as "requires improvement "- one rank above failing . If the Conservatives win power at the next election, schools which appear to be coasting along and never improving risk being taken over by a more successful head teacher, local school or an academy chain. This new proposal risks further alienating teaching unions who've had a fractious relationship with the government. It's also questionable whether there are sufficient numbers of successful heads and schools willing to take over what could turn out to be hundreds if not thousands of more problematic schools.
tweets, external: Nicky Morgan refuses to answer 11x12 times table question on BBC breakfast.