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Diary is glad to see some outside academe milking the pay dispute for all it is worth. A press release from Year Out Group, which arranges gap years for students, is delighted to report "a surge in inquiries" in the past month. Richard Oliver, its chief executive, is quoted as saying: "Taking a gap year after three years of university study is a very popular option, but this year is proving even more so. Many students find themselves unable to plan job applications satisfactorily because of the very real threat of exams not being marked and degrees not awarded."