The Managing Director of Bridge International Academies (BIA), Ms Olu Babalola, has faulted a research commissioned by Education International that its schools were not accessible to the poor.
The research, which was conducted by a team from the University College London in the United Kingdom (UK) and some Nigerians, concluded that BIA was not accessible to the poorest of the poor and did not employ qualified teachers, among others.
Education International and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) also questioned the £3.45 million grant given to BIA by the Department for International Development (DfID) to establish low-cost private schools rather than back the expansion of public education.
In a statement, Ms Babalola said Bridge used partnerships with various stakeholders to provide quality education to underserved communities around the world.
She said: “Bridge is a social enterprise that partners with families, governments and donors to provide life-changing, low-fee education to low-income families in underserved communities in Nigeria, across Africa and Asia.”
The school director said the £3.45 million grant helped Bridge to establish 58 schools in such communities in Lagos.
“The grant was aimed at improving learning outcomes for underprivileged children in Lagos. Bridge’s bid for a portion of the grant and the subsequent disbursement was as a result of the recognition (by DfID) of the innovative role that low-fee private education has in the pursuit of quality education at the bottom of the pyramid.
“Bridge received £3.45 million to set up technology-driven, low-cost private schools in underserved communities in some local government areas like Ojo (Ajangbadi, Shibiri), Badagry (Ilogbo, Morogbo), Ikorodu (Maya, Igbogbo), Ifako Ijaye (Ahmadiya, Meiran), Alimosho (Aboru, Abaranje), among others.
“As confirmed by DfID, Bridge has successfully completed the terms of its funds received and currently runs 58 low-cost private schools in Lagos State.”
On school fees, Ms Babalola said the fees the school charged included instructional materials and tutorials, adding that the school served low-income families.
She said: “Our fees include the cost of class workbooks, homework books, textbooks as well as the cost of extra lessons from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. The average family in the communities Bridge serve earn a monthly income, ranging from N20,000 to N53,000.
“Indeed, parents of pupils at Bridge fall within the category of artisans, petty traders, blue-collar workers and others who earn below the income threshold of N100,000 per month for middle class, as advised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2013.
“Bridge has made strenuous efforts to provide qualitative education to children of low-income families.”
Ms Babalola also said Bridge employed only degree holders as teachers though she did not specify if they had only degrees in education or added Education qualifications, such as post-graduate diploma in education, to their bachelor’s degrees.
She added: “The EI Study, as reported in the article, also questioned the qualifications and quality of Bridge teachers. Contrary to the EI statements, Bridge confirms that the organisation only hires individuals with degrees, experience and a passion for teaching, to serve as teachers in our schools…”