- Title: Uganda orders closure of schools backed by Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg
- Date: 28th November 2016
- Summary: STUDENTS IN CLASS LISTENING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS PLAYING DURING BREAK (SOUNDBITE) (English) STUDENT AT BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PAUL WASWA, SAYING: "They say that they want to close Bridge schools, that Bridge schools have poor sanitation when they have never visited any academy to prove whether there is clean water or even clean toilets but the toilets are there, water is there nothing is missing." TEACHER TEACHING IN CLASS STUDENTS RECITING CHILDREN WANDERING OUTSIDE CLASSROOMS CHILDREN STANDING NEAR ABLUTION BLOCK (SOUNDBITE) (Luganda) UNIDENTIFIED PARENT AT BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS, SAYING: "Some of us are casual workers, when you get some little money you can pay fees here in instalments and they are okay with it. But you just can't wake up one morning and decide to close the school. They look after our children, if you inspect the school, all the amenities are there. Our children used to go to different schools with very poor standards but now they are learning very well here." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS ATTENDING ASSEMBLY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGER FOR BRIDGE SCHOOLS, DON MULONDO, SAYING: "We are not a threat to the standards of schooling, we are not a threat to the ministry, we are not a threat to any private or public schools. We have only come into the education gap as an alternative, we are giving parents an alternative to have their children study and get a high quality education but at a very affordable fee." PUPILS AND TEACHERS WALKING THROUGH BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
- Embargoed: 13th December 2016 15:05
- Keywords: Kampala Uganda education schools Bill Gates Mark Zuckerberg Bridge International Schools
- Location: KAMPALA, UGANDA
- City: KAMPALA, UGANDA
- Country: Uganda
- Topics: Education,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0035AD0A4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ugandan authorities have ordered the closure of a chain of for-profit international schools backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg over concerns about poor sanitation and teaching.
A Ugandan high court judge ruled last week that Bridge International Schools was not licensed properly, provided unsanitary spaces and relied on unqualified teachers - allegations that students, parents and representatives of the school have denied.
The US-owned chain of low-cost academies, which is also backed by the UK government, first opened in a Nairobi slum in 2009 before setting up in Uganda in 2015. It has since then been embroiled in a tussle with authorities with accusations of poor teaching and facilities standards.
The organisation runs more than 400 nursery and primary schools across Africa. It has continuously denied the allegations.
The low-cost education provider has 63 campuses across Uganda with 12,000 students, and is allowed to remain open until December 8 to allow students to sit for exams and finish third term after it obtained a court order.
Bridge has opened hundreds of schools as it continues to expand across Africa and Asia with a mission of educating 10,000,000 children across a dozen countries by 2025. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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