Go to school, get an iPod

Ah, those fickle educators — why can't they make up their minds about iPods? While some schools have banned audio players, others are giving them away to well-off students who are probably hawking them on eBay since they already have their own. Now, Bournemouth and Poole College in the U.K. is being accused of bribery for offering students iPods if they attend summer school. According to the school, the program targets unemployed teens who are "disaffected by education," but critics are concerned that the plan will send the wrong idea. "The people who are organizing the course must feel the youngsters don't really want to go, otherwise they wouldn't feel it was necessary to offer them iPods," Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, told the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the school has only signed up 30 students for the program, which has 100 spots. Looks like they may have to up the ante a bit; maybe they can throw in an iTunes gift card too, so the students will have something to listen to when they don those earbuds in class to block out the teachers.