Acquisition

AEC Education plc 29 September 2006 AEC Education plc ('AEC' or 'the Group') Acquisition of Smartworks Learning Centre Pte Ltd (Singapore) AEC Education plc (AIM: AEC), is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore, AEC Edu Group Pte Ltd, has acquired 100% of Smartworks Learning Centre Pte Ltd ('SLC') which is incorporated and operating in Singapore. The acquisition was made on a willing buyer and willing seller basis for a total consideration of S$442,000. The consideration comprises cash and will be satisfied as to S$221,000 on completion and as to S$221,000 six months after completion. The consideration will be reduced if SLC's profit before tax for the year ending 31 December 2006 is less than S$140,000. SLC, which had audited net assets of S$47,894 as at 31 December 2005 and generated profits of S$23,729 for the year ended 31 December 2005, provides a distance learning programme in real estate and marketing in collaboration with the University of South Australia and the College of Estate Management in UK. SLC is also conducting similar programmes in partnership with Singapore Polytechnic which is a Singapore Government Institution. With this acquisition, AEC is able to widen the scope of education services that it provides and also take full advantage of the growing demand for such programmes. The Group intends to introduce similar programmes across its other operational areas in due course. Mr David Ho, Chief Executive of AEC Edu Group Pte Ltd, said 'The real estate sector is an expanding sector in most of the Far East region and the demand for trained people to manage and market real estate is growing. It was therefore, timely for the Group to enter into such a specialized area of training'. For enquiries, please contact Mr David Ho AEC Edu Group Pte Ltd Tel: (65) 6320 4829 Fax: (65) 6224 8018 Email: davidho@aec.edu.sg About AEC Education plc AEC is the UK holding company for a number of companies, founded in 1985 in Singapore and Malaysia, that provide business educational services to approximately 16,000 students in the Asia-Pacific region: the fastest-growing source market for international students. The group offers class-based instruction at the largest educational campus in Singapore's Central Business District and distance learning up to postgraduate level. In addition, it provides degree qualifications on behalf of several leading international universities, targeting the large volumes of overseas students that the Singaporean government has announced in the Global Schoolhouse Vision it intends to increase. AEC's aim is to be a leader in quality education through facilitating learning, fostering creativity and developing knowledge, skills and confidence in its students. Its receipt of four rare Singapore Quality Class Awards shows the Group's recognition by the Singaporean Government as a prestigious and forward-moving company. In August 2005, AEC was awarded the CaseTrust for Private Education Organizations, a student protection scheme for foreign students. This is a further step by AEC in its recognition as a quality provider in the education industry. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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