UK government announces £132.5m after-school clubs package

The UK government has announced a £132.5 million funding package to expand after-school clubs in schools across England. The programme will support enrichment activities such as music groups, debating societies, engineering clubs and sports, aiming to provide alternatives to online engagement for children. The funding announcement precedes expected restrictions on social media use for under-16s, to be announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the coming days. The proposed measures include an Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, curfews, and limits on addictive platform features. Additional plans include banning romantic or sexual AI chatbots for under-18s and restricting access to "high-risk" platforms, including features like disappearing messages, live streaming and contact from adult strangers. The Department for Education cited a survey of over 14,000 young people showing high levels of loneliness despite widespread digital connectivity. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed a social media ban is "on the table". The government's recent consultation on children's online safety, which closed in early June, received more than 116,000 responses, with nine in 10 parents supporting a ban for under-16s. It is the second-largest consultation response in recent years. Ofsted will now consider a school's extracurricular offerings when evaluating personal development, increasing the importance of after-school provision. However, concerns have emerged over implementation, including possible legal challenges. Government sources indicate potential judicial review over how platforms are classified as high or low risk. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said, "Social media is for adults, it's not for children," calling for stronger measures.

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