Bear Grylls: Eton didn’t teach me about real life
IT is the most famous school in the world, providing the best education that money can buy.
But, according to one ex-pupil, Eton College fails to teach skills needed to succeed in life.
TV adventurer Bear Grylls said he wished the £37,000-a-year school had taught him basics such as how to eat healthily, talk to people and stay fit.
The elite school has taught 19 of Britain’s prime ministers, including David Cameron, as well as members of the Royal Family.
Despite its outstanding academic reputation, Eton’s coverage of some life skills has left much to be desired, according to Grylls. The 42-year- old attended Eton, in Windsor, Berkshire, in the 1980s.
He previously attended Ludgrove prep school, which also educated Princes William and Harry. Speaking at the Varkey Foundation Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai, he claimed he was often left finding his own way in adult life.
‘There’s stuff I wish people had taught me,’ he said.
‘I wish they had taught me how to keep fit, how to eat healthy food, how to lead a team, how to communicate with people.’
He added: ‘I wouldn’t have minded even a bit of entrepreneurial stuff, or citizenship, all of this sort of stuff, a bit of tax, a bit of legal ... I’ve learned lessons by mistakes over the years.’
Grylls, a father of three, said he wanted his own children to learn skills that will ‘really help them’ in the real world.