Have you ever encountered a problematic situation and thought, ‘I wish I had been taught to deal with this at school?’

Whether it’s managing your self-employment tax rate or learning how to properly cook a roast dinner before you get to university, while an academic education can provide you with maths, English and the tools to pass exams and go on to secure further study and jobs, there are often life lessons which you learn purely through growing up and figuring things out.

While these academic lessons are important, we asked a range of experts and activists from the tech, culinary and finance world what life lessons should be taught in school.

The most expensive schools in the world Show all 10 1 /10 The most expensive schools in the world The most expensive schools in the world La Rosey, Switzerland This prestigious Swiss boarding school is believed to be the most expensive in the world. Le Rosey hosts pupils from seven to 18 and has been co-educational since 1967. The school takes in pupils from more than 60 countries, but allows no more than 10 per cent of its students to come from any one country in order to prevent a single nationality dominating. The school has two campuses – winter is spent in Gstaad, where pupils can make use of the ski slopes after their morning lessons. Come spring, the whole school will uproot to the Chataeau du Rosey in the village of Rolle by Lake Geneva. Le Rosey also boats a 1,000 seat concert hall, equestrian centre and 38-foot yacht. Notable alumni: Shah of Iran, Prince Rainier of Monaco and King Farouk of Egypt. Sir Roger Moore and Elizabeth Taylor also send their children here, along with John Lennon’s son Sean and Winston Churchill’s grandson. Fees: approx. £86,657 pa The most expensive schools in the world Aiglon College, Switzerland With a view of Mont Blanc, this high altitude school lends itself to outdoor pursuits. The school caters for boys and girls aged nine to 18 and is modelled on the traditional British Boarding school. Unlike most schools, however, the whole school body comes together for 20 minutes of meditation on three mornings each week. Notable alumni: Actor Michel Gill, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, Sheherazade Goldsmith Fees: up to £80,810 per year (upper school boarding) The most expensive schools in the world Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil Founded in 1910, Beau Soleil is one of the oldest private boarding schools in Switzerland. It is positioned 1,350 metres above sea level on the Swiss Alps and hosts pupils from more than 40 different nationalities aged 11-18. The curriculum is taught in both French and English and focuses on outdoor sports, with a ski slope and ice skating rink on site. Notable alumni: Racing driver Jacques Villeneuve, Princess Marie of Denmark, Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg Fees: £79,528 Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil The most expensive schools in the world Collège du Léman International School, Switzerland Taking in children from as young as one year old, College du Leman teaches a bilingual programme of French and English up to age 18. The school campus stretches out across eight hectares and offers access to both Geneva city and the mountains. Pupils from more than 100 nationalities attend. Noteable alumni: Anna Ovcharova, Swiss, Russian figure skater Fees: £68,960 pa The most expensive schools in the world Leysin American School, Switzerland Another high-profile Swiss school, popular for its exclusive ski and snowboard facilities. LAS Students are allowed to spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on the mountain for sports. Despite its name, around 12 per cent of students are from the US. Notable alumni: According to Bloomberg, alumni include members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family, the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Fees: Approx £66,700 per year Leysin American School The most expensive schools in the world Institut auf dem Rosenberg With just 260 boarding pupils from over 40 countries, emphasis is placed on one-on-one time at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg. The school has a staff to student ratio of 1:4 and average class sizes of 8 students. Pupils can choose fromn one of five curricula, including British A level,s German Abitur and the Swiss Matura program. Notable alumni: Countless politicians and business leaders as well as international royalty – the school operates a strict privacy policy but most studenrts come from entrepreneurial families or are heirs to large businesses. Fees: £66,160 pa The most expensive schools in the world Think Global School The world’s first “travelling high school” takes pupils to four different countries each year – allowing pupils to experience subjects out in the field. The school has one teacher for every three students and has a 100 per cent pass rate for the International Baccalaureate qualification. Notable alumni: The school is only seven years old, but will no doubt become a popular choice with the next generation of rock stars’ children. Fees: £63,980. Sliding-scale scholarships offered. The most expensive schools in the world The American school in Switzerland (TASIS) The first US boarding school to be set up in Europe, TASIS lies on the Dollina d’Oro in the Swiss mountains. Fine art is central to the school curriculum and TASIS hosts its own Spring Arts Festival which attracts a number of famous artists and musicians each year. Notable alumni: American mountain climber Francys Arsentiev, Performer Jeanie Cunningham and Italian-American film director Francesca Gregorini Fees: £63,561 pa The most expensive schools in the world Brillantmont, Switzerland A family-run, traditional Swiss school for 130 years, Brillantmont overlooks Lake Geneva and sits just a five-minute walk away from Lausanne. Brillantmont boasts that 100 per cent of its students continue their studies to higher education. Notable alumni: kept suspiciously on the down-low Fees: £52,010 - £59,680 pa Brillantmont, Switzerland The most expensive schools in the world Hurtwood house, Surrey Hurtwood house, surrey Several of the best UK boarding schools top their fees around this mark. Set in an Edwardian mansion with 200 acres of grounds, Hurtwood House is one of the most unique. The school hosts just 340 pupils and is known for its focus on creativity and the arts – a recent school production of Chicago cost £75,000 to stage, according to Tatler. Notable alumni: Emily Blunt, Jack Huston, Hans Zimmer Fees: £39,555 pa

From coding to wellbeing to sexual values, here are what a mix of experts think:

Healthy sexual values

Cindy Gallop, founder of If We Ran the World and Make Love Not Porn

“The one life lesson that should be taught in school is good sexual values. I regularly ask people, “What are your sexual values?” and no one can ever answer, because we're not taught to think that way. Our parents bring us up to have good manners, a work ethic, a sense of accountability; nobody ever brings us up to behave well in bed. They should - because empathy, sensitivity, kindness, generosity, honesty are as important there as they are in every area of our lives and work where we are actively taught to exercise those values. When we openly teach and promote good sexual values and good sexual behaviour, we inculcate them as a universal standard in society, and we end rape culture.”

Balancing a budget

Richard Stonier, partner at Tally Accounts

“Learning to monitor your incomings and outgoings, at any age, is a vital skill. Whether it’s a child learning to manage your monthly pocket money allowance wanting to buy the newest video game or the CEO of a multi-million-pound business looking to expand into new sectors, developing an aptitude for financial management is something which has been missing from the curriculum for a long time. While much of our financial learning is acquired through our parents, school lessons on budgeting and finances provides the opportunity for children and adolescents to develop financial responsibility and an appreciation of being a mindful consumer, investor and saver.”

Be in tune with your mental health

Amber Cowburn, Campaigns Manager at Young Minds

“PSHE lessons can make a big difference when they focus on building resilience and equipping children with awareness of good mental health – but promoting the wellbeing of children should be a central part of everything that schools do. That's why schools need incentives and recognition for taking a 'whole-school approach' to mental health.”

Rustling up interesting, healthy food

Adam Simmonds, Michelin-star Chef

“Food tech, or home economics as it was called when I was young, was a subject I loved, however there was never an emphasis placed on nutrition. I strongly believe this should be a part of education, so kids understand how the right food can give them energy and ensure they have a healthy body. A couple of years ago, I worked with a food consultant at a local school. We worked with the kids to make courgette muffins which they all loved. Afterwards we explained how healthy they were and what was in them and they all said they hated courgette!! This seems to be a typical response from lots of children. If food tech classes included cooking things like this then perhaps it would encourage them to choose nutritionally balanced meals in the future and enjoy cooking them for their friends and family.”

Respecting other people's boundaries and beliefs

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner

“Earlier, better quality sex and relationship education, starting age-appropriately from the first year of primary school and continuing throughout a pupil's school life, covering issues of consent, abuse, emotions, sexual orientation and gender identity, coping with problems in relationships, sexual health and how to have fulfilling sex for yourself and your partner should be taught in school.”

Don't stop improving yourself and the things around you

Antony Walker, deputy chief executive of Tech UK

“We love it when we see young people getting creative with technology and would like to see more emphasis placed on using technology to do and make things. Coding comes alive when it is used as a means to an end – to make and do things. That is when the inspiration light bulb goes on – when young people understand how to use technology. To understand the modern world, young people need to be able to see behind the technology that they use every day. We hope once that light bulb goes on – it will lead to a life-long interest and a career in tech. But I think it is also really healthy for young people to understand that the machines and technologies that we live with everyday have been imagined, created and programmed by people. And to realise that everything can be improved upon.”

Never rely on others to teach you

Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer and climate change campaigner