PRESS RELEASE (Nairobi, Kampala, Monrovia, Johannesburg, 1 August 2017)
174 civil society organisations from around the world, including the Right to Education Initiative, have today released a statement calling on investors to cease support for Bridge International Academies, a US-based company running over 500 commercial private schools in the ‘global south’ with the support of international donors and investors.
Coming just two years after a previous statement addressed to the World Bank, this statement has been signed by a broad range of organisations from 50 different countries. These include human rights, development, community- and faith-based organisations, and trade unions, which demonstrates the growing and wide ranging concerns relating to how Bridge International Academies (‘Bridge’) operates.
The statement sets out the mounting evidence and analysis published in the last two years, including enquiries by independent journalists that raise grave concerns over Bridge’s transparency, relationships with governments, working conditions, and breaches of educational standards. It highlights the cases of Uganda and Kenya where Bridge has not only operated schools illegally but also failed to adhere to national education standards. Authorities in both countries have ordered the closure of Bridge schools.
‘The quality of Bridge schools has not been independently assessed. In any case, any claimed gains in learning outcomes could never justify the shocking practices that have been documented in this statement. What can justify, for instance, [...] unlicensed, unregistered teachers being denied a living wage while working over 60 hours [...] per week?’, reacted Linda Oduor-Noah, of the East African Centre for Human Rights, in Kenya.
Also outlined in the statement is how Bridge does not merely fail to reach the most disadvantaged - the very population it claims to serve - due to high costs, but also negatively impacts families who are accessing the schools. For example, one study found that, as a result of high school fees, between 69 and 83 percent of parents sending their children to Bridge schools had difficulty paying rent, providing food, or accessing healthcare.
‘Rather than the 6 USD per month, as claimed by the company, the total cost to attend a Bridge school is closer to 20 USD per month. Not only are such costs unaffordable by a large part of the population of our countries where Bridge operates, but their announced fee is misleading’, said Salima Namusobya, of the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, in Uganda.
The document also underscores Bridge’s resistance to public scrutiny and its attempts to limit transparency, building on the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee’s recent letter to the Secretary of State, which raised this issue.
‘We’ve seen how in Liberia, Bridge, which is part of a public-private partnership arrangement with the state, has operated in total secrecy, challenging public procurement rules and undermining independent assessment of its operation by civil society. This confirms the trend in other countries, where Bridge has been involved in the arrest of independent teachers, the silencing of unions, resistance to assessment, and more. This is a global education company shrouded in secrecy and hiding, and this is extremely worrying’, added Anderson Miamen, from the Liberia Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education.
The organisations signing the statement are therefore calling on investors and donors to fully discharge their due diligence obligations and cease support for Bridge. Set out in the statement are also a number of other recommendations relating to compliance with national laws and standards, transparency, accountability, treatment of civil society and the redirection of funds to programmes promoting equity in education.
‘It is important to recognise that most investors are genuinely seeking to make a difference in the lives of children living in poverty. We share these concerns and recognise the need for major improvements in education. However, there is now significant evidence that investing in Bridge is not an effective way to improve access, equity and quality in education which should be the aim of any education initiative targeting the most disadvantaged. We would welcome an opportunity to explore alternatives with donors and investors, to identify more effective ways to invest sustainably in providing quality education for all children living in poverty;’ concluded Chikezie Anyanwu, from the Global Campaign for Education.
This latest statement follows persistent concern over the rapid and unregulated growth of certain private education providers, in particular commercial schools, such as Bridge. In May 2015, 116 organisations published a statement expressing alarm over misleading information regarding the cost and quality of Bridge schools. Since then, evidence from various sources, as presented in the statement and which include the UN, a UK parliamentary report, and independent research and media reports, have attested to those concerns, and warned of the dangers inherrent in the gulf between what Bridge promises and the reality of their practices.
Notes to editors
- Civil society call on investors of Bridge Academies: http://bit.ly/2hjQmKo
- Letter from the UK Parliament: http://bit.ly/2ql2pa6
- More information about Bridge International Academies: http://bit.ly/commerceduc
Contacts
- Salima Namusobya, Executive Director, Initiative for Economic and Social Rights (ISER), Uganda: snamusobya@gmail.com / +256 414581041
- Anderson Miamen, National Coordinator, Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education (COTAE), Liberia: admiamen2@gmail.com / +231 776 391 481
- Linda Oduor-Noah, Project Manager, East African Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights), Kenya: linda.oduornoah@gmail.com / +254701670090
- Chikezie Anyanwu, Global Co-ordinator, Global Campaign for Education: chikezie@campaignforeducation.org / +27 11 447 4111
List of signatories
Organisation | Country |
| Burundi |
| international |
| International |
| South Africa |
| Liberia |
| Uganda |
| International |
| International |
| Austria |
| International |
| Kenya |
| Senegal |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Belgium |
| Bangladesh |
| Niger |
| Brazil |
| Madagascar |
| Cameroon |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Tunisia |
| Togo |
| Morocco |
| France |
| Algeria |
| Morocco |
| Morocco |
| Tunisia |
| International |
| International |
| Brazil |
| United Kingdom |
| Cameroon |
| Bangladesh |
| Argentina |
| International |
| Peru |
| Brazil |
| Morocco |
| Senegal |
| Benin |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| South Africa |
| India |
| France |
| Brazil |
| Brazil |
| Honduras |
| International |
| Nigeria |
| Liberia |
| Spain |
| Senegal |
| Mauritania |
| France |
| Burundi |
| Sri Lanka |
| Liberia |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Madagascar |
| Burkina Faso |
| Senegal |
| International |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| United Kingdom |
| Belgium |
| Belgium |
| International |
| France |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| Cameroon |
| Belgium |
| South Africa |
| Cameroon |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| International |
| Honduras |
| Chile |
| Nigeria |
| International |
| Mexico |
| Ghana |
| International |
| United States |
| International |
| United Kingdom |
| Liberia |
| île Maurice |
| Argentina |
| Brazil |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| International |
| Spain |
| Mexico |
| Uganda |
| Nigeria |
| International |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Bénin |
| United Kingdom |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| Nigeria |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Belgium |
| Senegal |
| Kenya |
| Kenya |
| Morocco |
| Belgium |
| Mozambique |
| India |
| India |
| Nepal |
| Liberia |
| Kenya |
| Nepal |
| United States |
| USA |
| Cambodia |
| Morocco |
| International |
| United Kingdom |
| Pakistan |
| International |
| Papua New Guinea |
| India |
| United States |
| International |
| Latin America and Caribbean |
| Angola |
| Guiné-Bissau |
| São Tomé and Príncipe |
| International |
| Republic of Congo |
| Benin |
| Burkina Faso |
| Cote d'Ivoire |
| Morocco |
| Niger |
| Niger |
| International |
| India |
| India |
| International |
| India |
| Kenya |
| India |
| International |
| India |
| France (international ) |
| Côte d'Ivoire |
| Kenya |
| France |
| Sudan |
| Nigeria |
| Switzerland |
| Cameroon |
| France |
| Tunisia |
| Cameroon |
| France |
| Niger |
| Côte d'Ivoire |
| United States |
| Haiti |
| United Kingdom |
| India |
| Yemen |
| Nigeria |