Miliband: Courting controversy

David Miliband has claimed that boredom is holding back teenage boys from making better progress in school.

The education minister said an increase in truancy and bad behaviour among 11 to 14-year-olds could also be pinned on a failure to engage young minds in school.

Speaking at a Business in the Community education conference on Wednesday morning, Miliband issued a plea to teachers for more imaginative lessons during a crucial stage of development.

Less than a third of boys who do not reach the expected level in maths and English tests at 14 will go on to get at least five A to C-grades at GCSE, he said.

"If I had to pick out a fundamental reason why this minority get turned off, I would sum it up in a single word - boredom," said Miliband.

"Boredom at school is what makes parents worry that their kids are going to turn to rather more dangerous activities."

On Tuesday he angered the National Union of Teachers, questioning whether their conference was a "good forum" to debate education issues.

Teachers are also likely to see Wednesday's comments as a further slight on their profession as Miliband pulled no punches in his assessment.

A lack of interest among pupils was "the bane of education...and the recruiting sergeant for disaffection, truancy and bad behaviour" he argued.

"Boredom is the gateway to dropping out - it is taken by young people as proof that adults just don't understand and have nothing to offer.

"Bored children are a danger to themselves and a disruption to the education of other children."