The Duke of Edinburgh has told education ministers that exam
results aren’t everything.
Prince Edward, speaking to over 100 ministers at a meeting in
London, said qualfications don’t matter as much as real life
experience.
The prince added that ”a formal qualification may or many not
get you an interview but there is one thing I can guarantee you.
When you get to the interview they will never ask you about your
academic qualiifications.”
Instead, Edward said what mattered was what people had done and
the experiences they had had.
The comments came at a meeting of the Education World Forum
which took place in London earlier this week.
The Duke of Edinburgh was keen to put the emphasis on doing
things and gaining knowledge of the world through experience. He
said that without that experience ”you have got nothing to talk
about” and he said learning in the real world is about ”generating
that experience, to find out who you are, what your passion is, and
what your purpose is.”
Along with his wife, Sophie, Edward is in the middle of the
formal exams maelstrom at the moment. Their son, James, Earl of
Wessex is sitting his A-Levels as he prepares to leave secondary
education. The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady
Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, is currently in the final year of her
university course. She has been studying English at the University
of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Both Louise and James have been spoken about as potential
working royals although no word on their future has been issued by
either them, their parents or Buckingham Palace.
Lady Louise followed her father’s advice – she was recently seen
getting hands on work experience at the Royal Windsor Horse
Show.
Prince Edward was always keen to try different jobs when he was
younger and spent some time building a career in the arts before
becoming a full time working royal. He got three A-Levels,
achieving a C in English and a D in both History and Politics.
However, critics would argue his own path was different because of
his royal background. That haul of a C and 2 D’s won him a place to
read History at Cambridge where the usual entry criteria involves
somewhat higher grades. He spent three years at Jesus College and
graduated with a 2:2.
Prince Edward is now Patron of the
Duke of Edinburgh Award and the International DofE Award and
has been a passionate supporter of helping young people learn and
develop through its scheme which encourage them to volunteer, take
on expeditions and learn new skills.
This week, he has hosted over 9,000 DofE Award holders at
special Buckigham Palace garden parties.
