Primary school-level participation in after-school arts classes has fallen under the coalition government, according to analysis from the Labour Party.

Analysis of the Department for Education’s Taking Part survey conducted by the Opposition found that far fewer children were taking part in music, drama and dance classes than was the case in 2010, which the Conservatives and Lib Dems came into government.

Worryingly, shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman said that the decline is most visible among pupils from ethnic minorities.

The analysis found that in 2009-10 some 55 per cent of primary pupils were participating in music activities, yet three years later this figure stood at just 36 per cent. The proportion taking after-school drama classes dropped from 49 to 33 per cent over the same period. while the percentage doing dance classes at the end of the day declined from 45 to just 29 per cent.

Pupils from ethnic minorities were more likely to take dance classes in both 2009-10 and 2012-13, but participation rates still fell from 46 to 31 per cent over the three academic years.

Music and drama were the activities that saw the biggest drops in participation among ethnic minorities. Some 44 per cent were taking drama lessons after school in 2009-10, but this was down at 26 per cent in 2012-13, while music participation rates slumped from 60 to 24 per cent.

Ms Harman laid the blame for the decline squarely at the feet of former education secretary Michael Gove, whom she claimed had “devalued creativity” in schools amid his reforms. She also said that budget cuts to local governments had meant many organisations providing arts activities had lost vital funding.

“It is every child’s right to explore their artistic and creative potential – and that shouldn’t depend on your race. These figures should be a wake-up call to the government,” added Ms Harman.

However, some schools are becoming more diverse in their approach to the arts, with participation in circus activities having risen from 40 to 46 per cent over the same period.