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Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands |  |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Apr. 30, 2019 | Nov. 01, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Apr. 30, 2019 | Jan. 31, 2019 | Oct. 31, 2018 | Jul. 31, 2018 | Apr. 30, 2018 | Jan. 31, 2018 | Oct. 31, 2017 | Jul. 31, 2017 | Apr. 30, 2019 | Apr. 30, 2018 | Apr. 30, 2017
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of shares of common stock warrantholders are allowed to purchase (in shares) | 400,000 |  |  | 400,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 400,000 |  |  |  |
Cash, net of cash acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 190,415 | $ 0 |  | $ 125,924 |
Current Assets [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | $ 1,095,666 |  |  | $ 1,095,666 |  |  |  | $ 1,019,801 | [1] |  |  |  | 1,095,666 | 1,019,801 | [1] |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired | 648,440 |  |  | 648,440 |  |  |  | 615,244 |  |  |  |  | 648,440 | 615,244 |  |  |
Revenue |  |  |  | 491,200 | $ 449,400 | $ 448,600 | $ 410,900 | 477,300 |  | $ 455,700 | $ 451,700 | $ 411,400 | 1,800,069 | 1,796,103 |  | 1,718,530 |
Operating loss |  |  |  | 80,100 | $ 50,300 | $ 57,500 | $ 36,100 | 72,700 |  | $ 65,400 | $ 80,800 | 12,600 | 223,989 | 231,461 | [2] | 211,470 | [2]
Solutions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current Assets [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill | 374,010 |  |  | 374,010 |  |  |  | 272,531 | [1] |  |  |  | 374,010 | 272,531 | [1] |  |
Customer Relationships [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired | 245,830 |  |  | 245,830 |  |  |  | $ 161,729 |  |  |  |  | 245,830 | 161,729 |  |  |
Atypon Systems Inc [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash, net of cash acquired |  |  | $ 121,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current Assets [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Intangible Assets, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 48,000 |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 70,000 |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36,000 | 32,900 |  | 19,100 |
Operating loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,900 | $ 2,700 |  | $ 3,500 |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest acquired |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payment to acquire business, gross |  | $ 200,700 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash, net of cash acquired |  | 190,400 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash acquired |  | 10,300 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration transferred | 201,274 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current Assets [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | 10,293 |  |  | 10,293 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,293 |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable, net | 8,621 |  |  | 8,621 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8,621 |  |  |  |
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 1,439 |  |  | 1,439 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,439 |  |  |  |
Total Current Assets | 20,353 |  |  | 20,353 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20,353 |  |  |  |
Technology, Property and Equipment, net | 343 |  |  | 343 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 343 |  |  |  |
Intangible Assets, net | 109,548 |  |  | 109,548 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109,548 |  |  |  |
Goodwill | 110,805 |  |  | 110,805 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110,805 |  |  |  |
Other Non-Current Assets | 5,025 |  |  | 5,025 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,025 |  |  |  |
Total Assets | 246,074 |  |  | 246,074 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 246,074 |  |  |  |
Current Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable | 1,542 |  |  | 1,542 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,542 |  |  |  |
Contract liability (Deferred revenue) | 959 |  |  | 959 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 959 |  |  |  |
Accrued employment costs | 4,925 |  |  | 4,925 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,925 |  |  |  |
Other accrued liabilities | 9,422 |  |  | 9,422 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9,422 |  |  |  |
Total Current Liabilities | 16,848 |  |  | 16,848 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,848 |  |  |  |
Deferred Income Tax Liabilities | 26,769 |  |  | 26,769 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 26,769 |  |  |  |
Other Long-Term Liabilities | 1,184 |  |  | 1,184 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,184 |  |  |  |
Total Liabilities | 44,801 |  |  | 44,801 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 44,801 |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired | $ 109,548 |  |  | $ 109,548 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109,548 |  |  |  |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] | Solutions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill deductible for tax purposes |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 31,500 |  |  |  |
Operating loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8,000 |  |  |  |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] | Warrants [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Issuance of warrants |  | $ 600 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of warrants | 3 years |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] | Warrants [Member] | Common Stock Class A [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisitions [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of shares of common stock warrantholders are allowed to purchase (in shares) |  |  |  |  |  | 400,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Exercise price per share (in dollars per share) |  |  |  |  |  | $ 90.00 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired | $ 103,850 |  |  | $ 103,850 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 103,850 |  |  |  |
Weighted-average useful life |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15 years |  |  |  |
The Learning House, Inc. [Member] | Course Content [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired and weighted-average useful life [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets acquired | $ 5,698 |  |  | $ 5,698 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,698 |  |  |  |
Weighted-average useful life |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 years |  |  |  |
[1] | The April 30, 2018 goodwill balances were revised for the Publishing segment which decreased and the Solutions segment which increased to reflect foreign translation adjustments of $11.6 million.
[2] | Due to the retrospective adoption of ASU 2017-07, total net benefits (costs) of $8.1 million and $(5.3) million related to the non-service components of defined benefit and other post-employment benefit plans were reclassified from Operating and Administrative Expenses to Interest Income and Other for the years ended April 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Refer to Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Recently Issued, and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards," for more information. The impact of the reclassification on Contribution to Profit by segment for the year ended April 30, 2018 was $4.2 million in Research, $2.3 million in Publishing, and $1.6 million in Corporate expenses. The impact of the reclassification on Contribution to Profit by segment for the year ended April 30, 2017 was $1.6 million in Research, $1.2 million in Publishing, and $(8.1) million in Corporate expenses.

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