BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIES WILL OPEN FOR THIRD TERM – COURT

Court Lady Justice Patricia Basaza Wasswa of the High Court of Uganda extended the Interim Order until the 3rd of October ensuring that Bridge International Academies will remain open until our case challenging the Ministry of Education’s closure notice can be heard.

Lead lawyer in the case, Isaac Walukaga, welcomed the Court’s decision. “We are happy about the extension,” he said, “because this means that Bridge International Academies will be open for third term without a doubt.”

Bridge’s Country Director, Andrew White, added that the decision by the High Court to block the closure of the academies is especially important because it allows Bridge to continue the critical mission of providing children with access to high quality education. Mr. White said that because of the Court’s ruling, “More than 12,000 children and 500 teachers in 63 academies across the country will be in class on the 26th of September.”

It is also a great day for parents who have worried about the future of their children’s education after learning of the closure notices by the Ministry of Education. Henry Kalema, a parent of 3 children at Bridge International Academy in Kajjansi, said “I am happy that my children will go back to Bridge International Academy where they have been progressing well, especially in learning English. I was worried about having to put them into UPE schools.”

The bottom line is that thousands of Ugandan children deserve to concentrate on what really matters to them— learning—and their parents deserve to choose what’s best for their children without that right being pulled out from under them.

The Interim Order was certainly positive, but the court case continues. Bridge is still in talks with the Ministry of Education and hopes to officially, amicably, and definitively resolve the matter very soon.

[ENDS]

About Bridge

Bridge believes every child has the right to high quality education and works in partnership with governments, communities, parents and teachers to deliver education to over 100,000 children in underserved communities across Africa and Asia.

Bridge leverages in-depth teacher training and support, advanced lesson plans and wireless technology to provide pupils with a meaningful and life-changing education.

Globally, there is an education crisis. Around 263 million children and young people are not in school and the number of primary school aged children not in school is increasing. Bridge is committed to helping tackle this through a data driven, evidence based approach that delivers strong schools and a great education for all.