Brits Get a Lesson in Love!

13 February 2008

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LSC proves that finding love really can be as easy as ABC

London, 11th February: A new study* by the Learning and Skills Council today revealed that a massive 60% of us have found love whilst in a learning environment, proving that romance really is commonplace in the classroom and that school or college is one of the best places to find love in the 21st century. In fact, some 18% of those who found love whilst in higher education remain today in one of those relationships.

Classroom romance also appears to be on the increase, with a very reserved 43% of those aged 65 and over admitting to having found love in their former school days, compared to a staggering 70% of today’s 18-24 year olds. Dr Linda Papadopoulos, celebrity psychologist, suggests that one reason for this tendency to meet potential partners whilst learning is that our self-confidence increases when learning a new skill: “Learning new skills and bettering ourselves is a great way to build self confidence and it’s not surprising to find that people commonly find love and are more receptive to romance when in learning environments.”

Furthermore, learning a new skill is a great way to invest in yourself, building not only self-confidence but also increasing your skills-set and improving career potential – success being another notorious draw for potential partners. The opportunity to meet other like-minded people in a sociable learning environment, therefore, is merely a bonus.

It seems even celebrities appreciate the convenience of finding romance whilst learning, with a number of high profile couples, and even royalty, meeting partners at school or college. Prince William, no less, met his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton whilst they were both studying at the University of St Andrews; along with football star, Michael Owen, who met his wife Louise Bonsall at primary school in 1984 and have since had a family together. Even American rap star Eminem found love whilst in education and had a daughter with his long term high school sweetheart Kim Mather – although their romance may not have ended quite so sweetly!

Emily Maguire, 22, who met her current partner whilst studying at college, comments: “I had no expectations to meet someone when I decided to go to college, let alone a long-term partner, I was just really keen to get some good qualifications so that I could secure a career in the future. In fact a lot of my friends had similar experiences because it’s just such a great, positive environment. I am also yet to find an environment in which you meet so many like-minded people.”

Similarly, Pam and Jeff Grover, now both in their 70s, but who met at just 14 when at school together, admit: “We can’t imagine life if we hadn’t found each other, or how we would have met that special someone if it hadn’t been at school. It’s a strangely good opportunity to find romance, meeting people with whom you can form proper friendships and who share common interests - we both went on to be teachers and had very similar expectations in life as a whole. We are very lucky to have found each other and to have shared our lives with one another.”

For those interested in learning a new skill and the opportunity to be involved in a sociable learning environment, more information on different courses and details of funding options can be found at http://www.lsc.gov.uk

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