Bridge Magazine

BIA is one of the most controversial chains of private schools. The use of standardised curriculum developed abroad, the poor working conditions of teachers and the robotization of their work, profit-making by charging poor families in informal settlements, and questions about its respect for some national education and health and safety standards are some of the most debated aspects of Bridge's operations. BIA has received funding from several large corporations, investors and development partners including the Omidyar Network founded by the billionaire creator of eBay, Pearson (the world's largest educational business), Novastar Ventures, Kholsa Ventures, philanthropist Bill Gates, Facebook founder's Zuckerberg Education Ventures, the International Finance Corporation (a branch of the World Bank Group), the UK's Commonwealth Development Corporation (with funds from the Department for International Development - DFID) and the US Government Overseas Private Investment Corporation. The company opened its first school in Mukuru kwa Njenga slum in Kenya in 2009, by 2015 the company had 405 schools in Kenya, as well as other schools in Uganda, Nigeria, Liberia, and India. BIA seeks to grow further with the aim of reaching 10 million students by 2025.