Children are spending so long plugged into computer games, X-Box and Facebook
and texting on their mobiles that they can't concentrate in the classroom

Every Monday morning at my school, we spend three hours trying to get pupils to pay attention in the classroom. This isn’t because they are an unruly bunch; they are brilliant, eager young minds with great futures ahead of them. Yet, at a time when they should be at their most rested and interested, they are distracted and inattentive. This is because, all weekend, they have been plugged into something, watching a screen or playing games on their X-Box. The last thing they are ready to do is learn.

But this isn’t a crisis only affecting pupils at my school, St James Senior Boys’ School in Ashford, Surrey. Our country is in the grip of a national attention deficit syndrome. Pupils spend so much time networking on social media, texting on mobile phones and playing computer games that they are losing the ability to concentrate in class – and, worse still, to communicate with one another.

In the nine years I have been headmaster, I have seen this problem get worse. Children look at their heroes – footballers, rugby players or celebrities – and see that they’re always plugged into some gadget or listening to music. I don’t want to come across as a luddite, as I know that the internet can be a useful learning tool, but the effect in the classroom is shocking. When a teacher is talking, no matter how riveting the lesson, capturing pupils’ attention becomes impossible. Teachers have to use visual stimuli, such as interactive whiteboards, to get students to concentrate at all. Pupils’ understanding is superficial and they have trouble taking things in. They are unable to pay attention for more than the shortest of periods.

Children seem to think they’ve got friends if they’re listed on Facebook. I tell the boys it should be called ''Face-less book’’. If you think your friends are online, you’re missing the human dynamic of a real relationship. You can’t see facial expressions; can’t hear the tone of voice – all you’re dealing with is digital messages, which are usually meaningless and never meaningful. I fear that our young people are losing their ability to form relationships and strike up conversations.

The breakdown of the family may have a part to play. Young people are extremely sensitive and when in a state of emotional upset, they find it hard to concentrate. The idea of families sitting down in the evening, eating together and having a good conversation, is increasingly rare. It is easier to get lost in a computer game than to deal with a dysfunctional family.

So what can be done? The first step is to bring the issue into the public consciousness. Next, we must make learning so fascinating that youngsters want to pay attention. At my school, we load the boys on to buses to go on study trips to all sorts of exciting places: Italy, Greece, Africa, India. We encourage social projects and extra-curricular activities that make them want to put down their iPods. They might not remember the most brilliant History lesson; but they will remember seeing where the Battle of Hastings took place. They won’t recall a wonderful English class; but they will a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe.

Turning off gadgets can also help. We have a rule that students aren’t allowed earphones or iPods during school hours. It’s the same for mobile phones – unless they’re in sixth form, they must be kept in their lockers. Outside school, it’s parents’ responsibility to restrict access to screens and phones. This depends on age and circumstances, but I would recommend no more than an hour a day.

Sadly, I don’t think we can fix this epidemic until we modify the measure of what makes a good school. It shouldn’t just be about league tables. The traditional system, which talks in terms of academic skill and not emotional or social awareness, has to change. We need to equip young people with the skills to face the world – be this citizenship lessons, philosophy classes or learning how to support one another – and not just good grades.

Ultimately, without concentration in the classroom, there can be no education. Children need to be challenged and engaged – and if they don’t get this at school, they will find it elsewhere.