Children’s attention span ‘shorter than ever’ since Covid crisis, say teachers in England

Poll of primary teachers finds pupils more likely to complain about being bored and provoke others in class

Most primary schoolteachers think children’s attention spans are getting shorter and classroom behaviour has deteriorated since before the Covid pandemic, a survey has found.

More than two in three (70%) teachers questioned said pupils’ behaviour in class had declined. Children were more likely to move around the room, complain about being bored and annoy or provoke others in the classroom, the poll showed.