UKEdNews 24 January 2017 from @UKEdNewsDesk

Daily news briefing from the UKEdNewsdesk, initially published on the UKEdChat App.

Scroll down to read the headlines and extracts.

Catholic school prompts uniform row by banning Muslim girl from wearing a headscarf

A Catholic school has prompted a uniform row by banning a four-year-old Muslim girl from wearing a headscarf at school.

Universities to drop grades for disadvantaged students in top courses such as medicine and law

Scotland’s most prestigious universities will have to significantly reduce entry grades for high demand courses such as medicine and law to ensure more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds secure places.

Anger after leaked report shows Scottish university missed out on funding for new campus

Ministers have come under fire for decisions which led to the withdrawal of funding for a new Scottish university campus.

Gender pay gap starts early with 20% disparity in pocket money – study

Girls aged five to 16 receive £2.20 less per week than boys and are allowed less financial independence, report shows

DfE says £3bn savings for schools ‘doable’ without larger class sizes

Headteachers say cuts are already affecting their schools, with staff training budgets reduced and maintenance falling behind

How our school is using Virtual Reality to prepare pupils for a future dominated by technology

Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, haptic feedback; the line between these and many other technological realities is becoming blurred and they are beginning to be grouped under one umbrella term: artificial reality. But what is artificial reality and how can it be used effectively in the classroom?

New £36m fund aims to reduce infant class sizes and raise education standards

A new £36m fund to reduce infant class sizes and raise standards will be announced by the Education Secretary Kirsty Williams today. It will target classes, starting with the largest ones, where teaching and learning need to improve and where there are high levels of deprivation.