Pearson's £326m payout for Brazilian business

Pearson chief executive Dame Marjorie Scardino is betting on emerging markets such as the BRICs — Brazil, Russia, India and China — to build up the education and Financial Times publisher.

Scardino today spent £326 million in cash to buy the school-learning division of listed Brazilian educational firm Sistema Educacional Brasileiro.

The FT publisher said: "The Zaher family, SEB's 70% majority shareholder, will retain SEB's school and higher education institutions, which will become major customers of Pearson."

With 56 million students, Brazil is one of the world's biggest education markets, a sector which provides over two-thirds of Pearson's income.

Pearson shares rose 9.4p to 943.7p.