THE Scouts have pledged to help Glasgow’s poorest families deal with the impact of the Summer holidays.

The long break can be particularly disruptive for cash-strapped parents who can no longer rely on free school meals to feed their families.

Pupils also more likely to fall behind academically because of more limited opportunities to take part in educational or challenging activities.

As part of an inquiry into the impact of poverty on school attainment the Scottish parliament’s education committee has asked for a range of views on what could make a difference.

In its response Scouts Scotland said it could help schools offer pupils a range of activities such as outdoor games, arts and crafts, cooking activities and challenges designed to build skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving.

Participating schools were selected on the basis of deprivation and a lack of similar activities in their wider community.

Katie Docherty, chief executive of Scouts Scotland, said: “Mainstream scouting takes place during term time, but we believe there is more we can do around provision of Scouting in the school holidays.

“To achieve this it would require Scouting to be more flexible than present and an additional, focused resource of leaders to provide Scouting in the holiday periods.

“We believe there is potential for parents and families to take part in family learning opportunities or more targeted family support.”

Ms Docherty said Scouting teams had the qualifications and experience to deliver initiatives such as bush craft and camping skills to parents in local settings or as part of a residential programme.