Many children are seen out with their parents late at night and come to school tired, the report has revealed.

The committee heard that children were being taken on late-night shopping trips to 24-hour stores, which worried head teachers.

The report also raised concerns about the hours children spent at mosques or in after-school lessons, leaving little time for them to enjoy their childhood.

It said: “Head teachers pointed out that many primary age children work extremely long hours attending supplementary schools after school. This means they get little or no rest from study and are under a lot of pressure. The amount of time young people spend at the mosque was also a point of concern for some.”

The report also said some parents needed to be more involved in their children’s education by attending parents’ evenings, school concerts and workshops.

It said: “Communication with parents presents problems - not because of language but because of attitude.”

There needed to be a clear message for parents about what was expected of them, such as the rules over attendance during term-time.

Coun Berry agreed parental support was crucial to a child’s education.

He said: “I think we need to start being very much more direct to people about the impact of some of these issues and behaviours on children’s abilities at school – the damage you do to a child if you are keeping them up late or taking them out shopping late.”

He said the problem affected families from all communities and backgrounds.