Among Us is getting a VR version  

  • Among Us is getting a virtual reality adaption – a first-person 3D experience instead of a third person 2D one.  
  • This is due to launch on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR and Steam VR but there is currently no scheduled release date.  
  • The VR adaption is part of a partnership with consulting firm, Robot Teddy, which is overseeing the game’s jump to new platforms.  
  • For Your Go-To-Guide on Among Us, read our blog here.  
  • Full story, here.  

 

MPs prepare amendments to Online Safety Bill on violence against women  

  • MPs are preparing to amend the upcoming Online Safety Bill amid growing fears that it will not be tough enough in key areas.  
  • MPs are looking to strengthen the bill when it comes to violence against women and girls online.  
  • The amendments aim to ensure that violence against women is viewed as a specific harm alongside other online harms, such as child abuse and racism. 
  • The draft Bill is set to introduce requirements on social media firms to ensure they protect users from material that is considered “legal but harmful”. 
  • Full story, here.  

 

Flexible school starting age in Northern Ireland could be introduced  

  • Parents applying for primary and pre-school places next year could be the first to have permission to defer their child’s education for a year.  
  • Children whose parents opt for flexibility would then start pre-school in the September after their 4th birthday and primary school the September after their 5th birthday.  
  • This flexibility would be available on parental request and would not involve an educational assessment.  
  • Education Minister, Michelle McIlveen, has reaffirmed that she is committed to passing this legislation before the end of the current Stormont mandate.  
  • Full story, here.  

Huge discrepancy in NI school uniform grant to the rest of the UK 

  • The Department of Education has begun a review of the uniform grant available to families in Northern Ireland, compared to the rest of the UK.  
  • The review has found that families in Northern Ireland receive more than £100 less per child compared to those in England, Scotland, and Wales.  
  • The Parental Engagement Group (PEG) is calling for ‘bespoke legislation’ which would introduce a cap on uniform costs. 
  • This follows new government rules in England that mean parents must be allowed to buy some uniform from High Street shops, and anything branded must be kept to a minimum.  
  • Full story, here.