Royal Watch News

Prince Charles: Schools responsible for unemployment

Jan 30, 2013, 12:02 GMT

Prince Charles

Britain's Prince Charles blames schools for the UK's high youth unemployment.

The 64-year-old royal believes the education system doesn't do enough to boost pupils' self-confidence and 'character' and give them the skills to cope in the job market.

Addressing business leaders during a lunch at St James's Palace, the Prince of Wales said: 'Life skills, which consist of developing self esteem, self-confidence - looking people in the eye - all these things are not taught in schools or hardly at all.

'What it seems we're lacking is that element in educational process of character, character education alongside all the other bits and pieces which are of course important but, if at the end of the day you can't actually cope with the world out there, the kind of interaction that's required of people, it is impossible it seems to me to manage, let alone to be employable.'

The heir-to-the-throne also led some of the business leaders on a visit of Circle Sports organisation in Westminster, London, a not-for-profit community sports shop helping youngsters develop the skills to find work.

There Charles met the course's chief executive, Turly Humphreys, and some of the 35 people who have been placed in permanent jobs since the programme began.

Reflecting upon his experience later on at the summit, he said: 'It was very interesting, actually, listening to the lady who runs the enterprise, it's a social enterprise as well, bringing young people from difficult backgrounds and giving them the necessary skills to give them some chance in life.'