overview
Key Updates
In 1997, Uganda introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE). Ten years later in 2007, the Government of Uganda introduced Universal Secondary Education (USE) which saw a marked increase in enrollment rates. However, these policy changes were not accompanied by sufficient investment in public education and this has resulted in the deterioration of the public school system. This has in turn led to the increasing presence of private actors in education provision.
Bridge currently operates 63 schools in Uganda with an estimated enrollment of 12,000 – none of these schools are registered as required by law. The Government of Uganda has called for the closure of all unregistered schools, including Bridge schools.
BIA opened 63 schools in Uganda by 2016. The most recent updates on BIA operations in Uganda:
16 March 2018: the High Court of Uganda at Kampala denied Bridge International Academies’ (Bridge) interim injunction application seeking to maintain operations while the company’s licensing is under review.
7 February 2018: Press release – Bridge International Academies must respect the right to education and comply with Ugandan Government order to close its schools http://bit.ly/2BLNJL2
April 2017, Report by Ugandan parliament states Bridge schools were listed as operating illegally in Jinja district: http://bit.ly/2vkXYTh
September 2016: Education International report, ‘Schooling the poor profitably: The innovations and deprivations of Bridge International Academies in Uganda’: http://bit.ly/2cSQidq
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10 November 2016: Press release – Uganda judgement on the closure of Bridge International Academies must signal a move towards fulfilling the right to education in Uganda and other countries http://bit.ly/2fU7PZh
9 November 2016: Statement from the Ministry of Education and Sports on the closure of BIA: http://bit.ly/2eVg967
4 November 2016: [regularly updated], High Court orders closure of BIA in Uganda : http://bit.ly/2eaI0Tw
4 November 2016: High Court ruling upholding the Minister of Education’s order to close BIA schools in Uganda: http://bit.ly/2ftsYIy
12 August 2016: Press release – Uganda to close the largest chain of commercial private schools over non-respect of basic education standards : http://bit.ly/UgandaBIA
Transcript of the Ministry of Education’s statement on the operations of the Uganda Bridge International Academies before the Ugandan Parliament : http://bit.ly/2baTCVm
Audio of the Ministry of Education’s statement on the operations of the Uganda Bridge International Academies before the Ugandan Parliament : http://bit.ly/2aCyuq
Interim Order on closure of BIA in Uganda : http://bit.ly/2bx6xPd
Country Partner
Resources
PRIVATE ACTORS AND THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION CASELAW DATABASE
Key cases on the right to education, particularly in the context of the involvement of private actors.
Resource Database
External documents that support our advocacy efforts for the right to education.
Monitoring Tools
Materials that can support other organisations advocating for the right to education.
Concluding Observations on Private Actors in Education Database
Collection of UN Concluding Observations that related to private actors in education.
