Udenrigsudvalget 2016-17
URU Alm.del Bilag 216
Offentligt
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Bridge vs. Reality
Bridge vs. Reality: a study of Bridge International Academies’ for-proit
schooling in Kenya,
uncovers large discrepancies between the claims
made by the company and the actual services it provides.
The claims can be plausibly viewed as part of a marketing strategy to entice
governments, international development agencies, donors and, ultimately,
unsuspecting parents to support its business.
Bridge International Academies (BIA) is found to offer poor quality education
at an unaffordable cost denying learners their right to quality free education.
This summary derives from
Bridge vs Reality: a study of Bridge International
Academies for-proit schooling in Kenya.
The report is based on interviews
with key stakeholders, questionnaires and documentary analysis made
during 2016. The report can be found here.
 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 216: Henvendelse af 12. juni 2017 fra Danmarks Lærerforening om Bridge International Academys arbejde i Kenya og Uganda
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Quality education?
BIA’s claims
Reality
71.5% of teaching staff
were unqualiied.
BIA gives teachers a 2-5
week training course whi-
ch focuses on how to use
a tablet (‘nook’) and how
to market BIA schools
rather than pedagogy
Quality teaching?
Essentially we’re giving
our pupils access to
the types of teachers
they would never be
able to afford
Supporting teachers
is critical to delivering
on a child’s right to
education
Teaching staff work
over 59 hours per week
and are given no
official breaks.
Salaries range between
USD88.8-118.5 per month
and 90% of the teachers
expressed fears over
their job security. 85%
stated that they would
prefer to work in a public
school
At Bridge, I’ve never met
a teacher that doesn’t
love what centrally
deployed, fully prepared
lessons do for them.
Teachers feel incredibly
supported, prepared, and
energized every day
Teaching staff
complained that scripted
classes and remote
management meant they
had no voice at school.
65% noted they had low
morale at BIA
 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 216: Henvendelse af 12. juni 2017 fra Danmarks Lærerforening om Bridge International Academys arbejde i Kenya og Uganda
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BIA’s claims
Reality
Teaching staff
complained that
curriculum material
was not relevant for the
KCPE exam
The curriculum used by
BIA is not recognised
by the Kenyan
educational authorities.
”It’s not examinable in
the KCPE. This brings a
lot of confusion”
Quality tools?
Bridge brings new,enga-
ging lessons aligned to
the Kenyan 8-4-4 national
syllabus to our class-
rooms on a daily basis.
These lessons, desig-
ned by a team of Master
Teachers and delivered
wirelessly to classroom
teachers, utilise strate-
gies and activities that
are proven to increase
pupil understanding
Our materials, including
textbooks, workbooks,
homework books, and
practical learning aides,
encourage pupils to
internalise and apply
concepts to real life
situations
Teaching staff can be
penalised for failing
100% adherence to the
nooks.
“A teacher only once
failed to use the tablet
and used a book (...)
she was dismissed”.
“We are not allowed to
use KIE books. If we
are found using KIE
materials, our salary is
deducted for that day”.
Quality
learning
environment?
Our scale allows us
to invest in critical
educational infrastructure
and in turn provide
quality schooling at
a cost affordable to
parents
Keeping costs low
rather than ensuring
quality learning
infrastructure seem
more important.
Corrugated iron rooing,
wooden posts and wire
mesh covered open
windows make the
classrooms “very cold
for children”.
 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 216: Henvendelse af 12. juni 2017 fra Danmarks Lærerforening om Bridge International Academys arbejde i Kenya og Uganda
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Equity and
Accessibility?
BIA’s claims
Fees are about USD5 a month
Reality
Total
BIA costcan
be
up to
USD20 a month
Learners whose parents have not
paid their fees on time are ex-
cluded from class or sent home.
Deductions are
made from teachers'
pay if learners
owing payments are
found in their classes
We believe every child – rich or poor
– should have the best education.
We believe that, no matter the con-
dition of parents; whatever situation
they go through should not determi-
ne the fate of their children
We want to ensure that every child
has equal access to the best edu-
cation
BIA has an entrance test.
Teachers suggested that learners
who do not attain 70% in each
subject examined are asked to enrol
in a lower grade or advised to go to
another school. Some suggested
that disabled children could not be
provided for at BIA.
 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 216: Henvendelse af 12. juni 2017 fra Danmarks Lærerforening om Bridge International Academys arbejde i Kenya og Uganda
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‘Affordability’?
BIA’s claims
In our communities, 85% of the
families in the poorest communi-ties
can afford to send all their boys and
all of their girls of the proper age to
our school
Reality
60% of families in the communi-
ties where BIA operates cannot
afford to send two children to the
school
without spending at least
20% of their income in school fees
BIA fees allow ‘a family living on
USD1.25 per day to send 3 children
to school while spending only 10%
of the families’ income’
Sending three children to BIA
could
require between 27% and
34% of a household’s income
BIA is a ‘for-proit attempt to allevia-
te developing-world poverty through
education’
58% of the parents indicated that
they struggled to pay the fees.
64% admitted to having borrowed
money to pay for school costs,
whilst others claimed that they had
to sacriice other basics such as
electricity or healthcare in order to
pay school costs.