Bridge International Academies proves that a world-class education can be delivered at a low-cost.
Investee | Bridge International Academies, founded 2008 |
Location | Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Liberia, Africa; India, Asia |
Sector | Education |
Funding Start | 2009 |
Funding type | Equity |
Website | www.bridgeinternationalacademies.com |
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, over 30% of primary school-age children are unable to attend or complete school due to few available schools and relatively unaffordable related costs of education. Limited funding, teacher shortages, ineffective teaching methods and the lack of accountability further impede delivery of quality education in available schools. Seeing their children progress through primary school with no commensurate learning gains, communities took education into their own hands, developing low-cost private schools. In Lagos, Nigeria, 90% of pre-primary children and 60% of primary school children attend informal, low-cost private schools. While low-cost private schools can address issues of teaching quality and accountability, their stand-alone nature limits their ability to invest in the research and development needed to radically increase learning outcomes for children.
Since opening its first school in 2009, Bridge has educated over 100,000 children from five countries across Africa and Asia. Independently conducted early grade reading and mathematics assessments, and the results of national primary exit exams in Kenya show statistically significant learning gains for Bridge children compared to their peers in neighbouring schools. Already Bridge graduates have gone on to some of the best high schools in Kenya and the United States.
BIA focuses on:
Impact Reach | 2009 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
# of schools (total) | 2 | 260 | 410 | 414 | 520 | 580 |
# of pupils enrolled | 590 | 80'000 | 120'000 | 76'019 | 90'680 | 100‘718 |
# of teaching staff | 10 | 2'300 | 4'720 | 4'529 | 5'415 | 5'096 |
# of countries | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
By investing in Bridge International Academies, we align with and contribute to four of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.