Too many activities is just as bad as too much TV for pupils

Children involved in too many after-school activities perform nearly as badly at maths and reading as those spending too much time watching television, a study reveals.

“What children do outside school affects how they do in school,” said Dr Selina McCoy, co-author of a new report that focuses on the way in which children learn.

The study found the lowest levels of educational achievement among children who rarely used computers and spend their spare time with friends or watching television.