BOSTON, October 8, 2008 -- College students around the globe showed record demand for Pearson's MyLabs and Mastering learning solutions for the Fall 2008 semester, underscoring the transformative impact of these programs for both students and educators. These innovative, online learning programs have cast a lifeline to millions of students in subjects such as math, English composition, physics, chemistry, biology, Spanish, economics and IT training.

Students registered for the MyLabs and Mastering programs at a fast and furious pace this semester, with more than 2.1 million student registrations recorded across all programs for classes beginning in the 2008-09 academic year, bringing the total for the year to 3.8 million, a 48 percent increase over 2007. By mid-September, over 500,000 unique student users were logging into these programs on a daily basis. Pearson's core systems and technologies continue to perform well under record-setting registration and usage volume, with over 99.9 percent uptime.

"Our MyLabs and Mastering programs are making a meaningful difference in the way millions of students learn,” said Will Ethridge, CEO of Pearson's North American education businesses. "This significant spike in activity reaffirms our strategy to provide online resources and learning applications that are mission-critical to both students and educators, regardless of whether students choose to buy a textbook.”

As the linked video shows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCOT6i20j48), the MyLabs and Mastering programs offer students the ability to learn at their own pace, in their own style. Educators are able to communicate with students privately and effectively online to keep them engaged and accountable for their work.

The MyLabs solution is also helping institutions meet the growing demand for remedial courses such as developmental math—a serious issue at colleges and universities across the country. For example, Pearson's MyMathLab has been shown to have a consistently positive impact on learning and often helps to reduce the cost of math instruction in higher education. Over 1.3 million students have used or are currently using MyMathLab in 2008.

Last year, Pearson launched MyLab or Mastering programs for 22 new subject areas, bringing the total number of course-specific offerings to 38. For more information and a complete list, log on to http://www.pearsonhighered.com/elearning/mylabs/index.html.

About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, reaches and engages today's digital natives with effective and personalized learning, as well as dedicated professional development for their teachers. This commitment is demonstrated in the company's investment in innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. The company's respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley, Benjamin Cummings, PEMSolutions, Stanford 10, SuccessNet, MyLabs, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, and many others. Pearson's comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student at every level of education. Pearson's commitment to education for all is supported by the global philanthropic initiatives of the Pearson Foundation. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to www.pearson.com.

Contact:
Susan Aspey,
Susan.aspey@pearson.com or (347) 421-2473