Cryptic crossword clue
Lacking formal education, so he almost couldn't work 10

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word UNSCHOOLED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Lacking formal education" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lacking formal education = unschooled.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does UNSCHOOLED mean?

UNSCHOOLED adjective
  1. Not schooled; not having been to school.
  2. Inexperienced; not having developed skill or knowledge in some area.
UNSCHOOLED verb
  1. To educate (a child) in an alternative to the regular school method, focused on the learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning.

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