A £132.5 million programme will encourage children to step away from their phones and engage with the real world, helping them develop skills and confidence for life.
Every Child Can Initiative
The Every Child Can initiative will fund activities during school, weekends, and holidays. It aims to enrich the lives of all children, not just those from families able to pay for opportunities.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "A child who loves the arts shouldn't have to be born into the right postcode to pursue it."
Activities may include music, football, engineering groups, and debating societies. Education regulator Ofsted will assess a school's "enrichment offer."
Research and Reactions
The launch follows research showing that while young people are the most digitally connected generation, they face high levels of isolation.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who embraced acting in her schooldays, said: "Every child should be able to enjoy sport and the creative arts, not just the lucky few. Whether it's performing on stage, playing sport, exploring nature or getting involved in their community, these experiences build confidence, spark ambition and help young people discover what they are capable of."
She added: "As the world around our children continues to move fast, investment is about making sure the childhood experiences we truly value can once again be for every young person, wherever they live."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, warned that the Government "cannot rely on an already stretched school workforce" to deliver activities. He said: "Schools already do a huge amount to enrich their curricula. Whether that be day trips, visitors or music and sports opportunities – schools work incredibly hard to ensure children get a rounded set of experiences. We must not lose sight of the fact that the majority of that happens within the school day to ensure all pupils get to be involved. We must also remember that when it comes to extra-curricular activities, a lot of that relies on the goodwill of school staff – whether that be taking pupils to sporting fixtures or running clubs after school."
