Studies for over 100, 000 students in Bridge International Academies-a chain of low-cost schools in Kenyan slums backed by America’s billionaire Bill Gates have been threatened.
This follows a row between the Ministry of Education, World Bank and Bill Gates.
The Ministry insists that the schools, common in Kenya’s slums, should be registered under the private schools’ category.
But the management of the school, on the other hand, insists they fall under the alternative for basic education and training (APBET) category.
Pius Mutisya, Director of Quality Assurance and Standards at the Ministry of Education told the media that their stand as a ministry is the Bridge International Academies must comply with the ministry’s directive.
Mutisya in a letter sent to the school’s managing director in East Africa Andrew White dated June 29 cited that they have to comply.
“We insist that BIA has to comply as directed and not hide under APBET guidelines. The County Education Boards are able to decide which schools fall under APBET and which are basically private. The BIA concept falls under private category,” read part of the letter sent to White and copied to Education CS Fred Matiang’i.
Further, the ministry’s Quality Assurance Director maintained that the curriculum being offered by the schools has not been approved by Kenya’s Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD).
He also said that though BIA has submitted some materials requested by the ministry, it has not been approved yet as they have thought.