The Prince of Wales has praised teachers and schools for ‘going above and beyond for their pupils’ during the coronavirus lockdown in a video message.
Prince Charles, 71, also paid tribute to parents who have had to homeschool their children without laptops or access to the internet.
Speaking from his Birkhall residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the prince praised teachers for finding creative ways to teach lessons remotely.
He said: ‘While recent times have been incredibly difficult for us all, I can only begin to imagine how challenging it has been for young people and families to adapt.
Prince Charles, 71, praised teachers and schools for ‘going above and beyond for their pupils’ during the coronavirus lockdown in a video message recorded from his Birkhall estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
‘In particular, I am thinking of those families who simply do not have the resources, such as online devices – or even the internet – that are needed for effective home-schooling.
‘Parents have done an astonishing job in such trying circumstances and to see teachers and schools going above and beyond for their pupils in response to this pandemic has been, in many instances, quite remarkable.
‘From finding creative ways to teach lessons remotely, and even making sure the most vulnerable children do not go without meals, we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude.’
Charles highlighted the work of the education charity Teach First, which aims to build ‘a fair education for all’.
Through a range of school leadership programmes, the charity supports teachers, leaders and schools facing the biggest challenges, serving the most disadvantaged communities.
The prince said about Teach First, which he supports as patron: ‘Their work to support schools to build a fair education for all, which also produces enhanced results, is more important now than ever.
‘It will be all the more vital in the recovery ahead.
‘As our schools begin to open again and the first students return to the classroom, their job will present further challenges – helping children to get back on track with learning, and supporting them to come to terms with all they have been through.
‘This work, transforming the futures of so many young people, could hardly be more important since teachers will surely be at the heart of the nation’s recovery.’
Charles opened up about contracting coronavirus last week, saying he was ‘lucky’ to have experienced ‘relatively mild symptoms’ of Covid-19 in March.
He said: ‘I was lucky in my case and got away with it quite lightly. But I’ve had it, and I can so understand what other people have gone through.
‘I feel particularly for those who have lost their loved ones and have been unable to be with them at the time.
‘That to me is the most ghastly thing,’ he told Sky News royal correspondent Rhiannon Millson on After The Pandemic: Our New World.
Royal biographer Penny Juror said Charles’ battle with the virus means he is now ‘able to understand people going through terrible times’ and ‘show leadership’
Royal biographer Penny Juror told the The Sunday Times The Prince of Wales felt contracting the virus ‘one of the best things that could have happened’ to him.
She said: ‘That he caught the virus is one of the best things that could have happened.
‘It echoes the Queen Mother and King George VI being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the public during the Second World War after Buckingham Palace was bombed.
‘During the coronavirus, maybe because of the lockdown, more people have seen him and listened to him than perhaps they would during normal times.’
Since beating the virus, Charles has shared an eclectic selection of social media posts championing causes close to his heart.
Last month he posted one of his favourite recipes for ‘cheesy baked eggs’ and he marked VE Day by reading an extract from his grandfather George VI’s diary.
He highlighted his commitment to sustainability and the environment in April with a post dedicated to Earth Day, writing: ‘It is increasingly clear that when we care for our planet we fundamentally care for ourselves.’
Charles’s Zoom calls and photos of him working in his office at his ‘messy desk’ have also offered royal fans a new insight into his life and work.
Prince Charles has been a patron of Teach First since 2008.