Scotland's papers: 'Humiliated' Swinney clings on and Celtic 'covidiot'
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The Scotsman front page describes an "embattled" John Swinney with a picture to match as it leads with Tuesday's U-turn on exam results. Downgraded results will be scrapped and predicted grades awarded after a tense week in education and politics. The paper says the education secretary is facing "continued calls" to resign over the incident.
"Humiliated" is how the Scottish Daily Express describes Mr Swinney, saying the education secretary "refuses to quit" over the chaos of the 2020 exam results. It reports that he made his own apology for the debacle.
The Herald also leads with the exams turnaround but focuses on the leap in pass rates under the new arrangement. It says by granting candidates the grades their teachers predicted for them, this year's Highers pass rate will soar by 15%.
John Swinney is "clinging on" according to the P&J. It reports that the deputy first minister is facing mounting calls to quit after the U-turn on the exam results.
However, the National claims Mr Swinney is set to win a vote of no confidence tabled by Scottish Labour after reversing the position on downgraded results.
The i newspaper says the education secretary will face the no confidence vote in parliament on Thursday but chooses a more upbeat headline of "exams joy" for pupils. The front page also features a picture of children spread out in a playground as many of Scotland's children head back to school full-time this week.
The Daily Telegraph also leads with the "exams debacle". The paper reports that the "controversial" moderation system is to be scrapped and pupils will receive new awards as soon as possible following outrage over the results.
The Times claims in an exclusive poll that the SNP is on course for an unprecedented majority at Holyrood despite Nicola Sturgeon suffering one of her most humiliating weeks in office. It says despite yesterday's change of heart on exam results, Nicola Sturgeon's administration is cementing support for independence as the majority view of Scottish voters and the SNP would become the most powerful party in the history of the Scottish parliament if the latest YouGov results were replicated next May.
"We only wanted a fair chance", exam candidates tell the Edinburgh Evening News. The tabloid highlights John Swinney's former school as one of many celebrating his decision to award students the grades their teachers had predicted.
The Evening Express looks to how the change to results will affect the 8,219 pupils in the north-east who were downgraded in the moderation system.
The Scottish Daily Mail asks if anyone will pay for the exam "chaos". It describes Education Secretary John Swinney's defence of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and his announcement that grades would be reissued automatically with no need for pupils to appeal.
It is Celtic FC's "covidiot" that makes the front of the Daily Record with a picture of player Boli Bolingoli "dripping in designer clothing" on a Malaga flight that ended in him breaching quarantine regulations by not self-isolating after returning from Spain.
A bold headline on the front page of the Scottish Sun focuses on Nicola Sturgeon's anger at Boli Bolingoli's actions and says the player has been issued with a £480 fixed penalty by police after breaking strict quarantine rules. The report says after flying to Spain on Monday and returning on Tuesday last week, the left-back then returned to training and came on as a sub in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
The Glasgow Times says Nicola Sturgeon has "shown the yellow card" to football over the Celtic player's quarantine breach. The paper says the first minister has threatened to pull the plug on the return of football in Scotland after recent incidents.
The Daily Star of Scotland also chooses the yellow card line and pictures Nicola Sturgeon as a referee.
And the Evening Telegraph in Dundee leads with a court case where a man threatened his ex partner with a hammer after being warned to stay away.
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