Industry News
After-school clubs 'should be compulsory'
Posted on 27th July 2007
Participation in after-school activities such as sports and drama clubs should be made mandatory for school children, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said today.
The think-tank said that a legal extension of the school day, so that every child is required to do at least one hour a week of after-school activities, would help prevent disaffected teenagers from missing out.
The government announced a £1 billion cash injection into extra-curricular school activities this week, but the IPPR said that while such activities are optional, many teenagers would not take part.
"British teenagers are more likely to get into fights, hang out with other teenagers, binge drink, take drugs and have underage and unprotected sex than teenagers in most other European countries," said Julia Margo, IPPR senior research fellow.
"Every child should be expected to do at least an hour a week of constructive after-school activities. They might not like it, but the evidence shows that the ones who don't want to do it are the ones who would benefit the most."
IPPR's research showed that emotional, behavioural and social skills were 33 times more important between the last two generations of adults in determining earnings in later life. Analysts hope that mandatory after-school activities could help develop many of these qualities.