He was speaking at a Bristol eventASDAN Stakeholder event 2025 – Jim Knight speaking

Children are becoming increasingly bored in lessons but not bored enough at home due to their mobile phones, a former schools minister has warned.

Lord Jim Knight expressed concern over what he described as “growing levels of disengagement, boredom and stress at school”, while arguing that mobile devices were preventing children from experiencing the kind of idle time that can spark creativity.

Speaking at an event for the Bristol-based education charity ASDAN, Lord Knight said that while he did not support banning mobile phones, he believed they were “weapons of mass distraction” which reduced children’s ability to focus for extended periods.

ASDAN Stakeholder event 2025

He added that young people no longer had the chance to be “bored in a positive way” in their spare time, missing out on moments of reflection that can lead to creative thinking.

“There is a fine line between boredom and reflection and creativity,” he said. “But being bored at school is a really negative thing. Because it implies that what you’re being fed is not engaging and it’s boring.”

Lord Knight, who is a patron of ASDAN, praised the charity’s efforts to tackle disengagement through project-based courses that align with students’ interests.

Founded in 1991 as a curriculum project at the University of the West of England, ASDAN now offers courses in subjects ranging from animal care and volunteering to football, and is preparing to launch a new programme focused on e-sports for students interested in competitive gaming.

Last year, more than 42,000 learners across the UK and in 30 other countries completed one of its programmes, while over 7,500 students received certified qualifications.

ASDAN Stakeholder event 2025

ASDAN chief executive Melissa Farnham said: “We face a landscape where there are 1.5 million learners in the UK struggling to engage in school each week. They’re huge numbers but it’s the reality of the UK.”

She added: “ASDAN’s programmes and courses and qualifications and its purpose, address urgent challenges in attendance and inclusion.”

Jemma Hancock, head of organisational development and culture at Great Western Railway, also spoke at the event, highlighting the value of lifelong learning for employers.