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                                                          EXHIBIT 99(a)(5)(iv)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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March 21, 2000

                                             Contact:  Contacts:
                                                       Lee McGee
                                                       (410) 843-8704
                                                       Linda Palarino
                                                       (410) 843-8094


   SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC. ANNOUNCES TENDER OFFER FOR ITS COMMON STOCK


     Baltimore, Maryland, March 21, 2000 - Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.
(NASDAQ: SLVN) today announced that it has commenced a "Dutch Auction" tender
offer to purchase up to 9.5 million shares, or approximately 19 percent, of
its outstanding common stock at a premium to the closing price of Sylvan's
common stock on Monday, March 20, 2000. The company intends to finance the
repurchase with a portion of the proceeds of the sale on March 6, 2000 of its
computer-based testing division, known as Prometric, to The Thomson Corporation.

     According to Douglas Becker, CEO of Sylvan, "Our recently announced
strategy emphasizes both the opportunity to grow our core educational services
operating businesses and the significant investment potential of our new
Internet "e-learning" Incubator.  This new structure will allow Sylvan to become
the true clicks-and-mortar leader in the educational industry.  We believe that
this strategy will enable us to maximize shareholder value.  We are making the
offer to buy back our shares because we believe that our shares are undervalued
in the public market and that the offer is consistent with our long-term
corporate goal of increasing shareholder value."

     Sylvan plans to repurchase up to 9.5 million shares of its common stock
at a single, per-share price within a price range of $15.25 to $17.50 per
share. Under the terms of the offer, shareholders will have the opportunity to
tender all or a portion of their shares at a price within this specified price
range. The closing price of Sylvan's common stock on Monday, March 20, 2000, was
$14.875 per share. Shareholders whose shares are purchased in the offer will
be paid the same purchase price net in cash, without interest, after expiration
of the offer period.

     Sylvan's Board of Directors has approved the offer. However, neither Sylvan
nor its Board of Directors nor the Dealer Managers is making any recommendation
to its shareholders as to whether to tender or
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refrain from tendering their shares or as to the price or prices at which
shareholders may choose to tender their shares. Shareholders must make their own
decision as to whether to tender their shares and, if so, how many shares to
tender and the price or prices at which such shares should be tendered. Sylvan's
directors and executive officers have advised Sylvan that they will not tender
any of their shares in the offer.

          THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN
OFFER TO BUY OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SHARES OF SYLVAN'S
COMMON STOCK.  THE SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY SYLVAN'S COMMON STOCK WILL ONLY
BE MADE PURSUANT TO THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS THAT SYLVAN WILL
BE SENDING OUT TO ITS SHAREHOLDERS SHORTLY.  SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD READ THOSE
MATERIALS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING
THE VARIOUS TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO THE OFFER.

     The tender offer will expire on Monday, April 17, 2000, at 12:00 Midnight,
Eastern time, unless the company elects to extend the offer. The offer is
subject to various conditions described on the Offer to Purchase.


About Sylvan Learning Systems

     Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. (www.sylvan.net) is the leading provider of
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educational services to families, schools and industry. The Sylvan Learning
Centers and Contract Education Services divisions provide personalized
instruction services to K-12 students through direct consumer relationships and
under contract to school systems.  Sylvan provides courses to adult students
throughout the world in the areas of English language, Teacher Training and
accredited University offerings through the Wall Street Institute/ ASPECT,
Canter and Sylvan International Universities subsidiaries.  Through its
affiliate, Caliber Learning Network, Inc., Sylvan also has the ability to
distribute world-class adult professional education and training programs.

     This release may include information that could constitute forward-looking
statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements may involve
risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
any future results encompassed within the forward-looking statements.  Factors
that could cause or contribute to such differences include those matters
disclosed in the Sylvan's Security and Exchange Commission filings.
