"Bridge International Academies must respect the right to education and comply with Ugandan Government order to close its schools"

Following the decision of the Government of Uganda to close Bridge International Academies in in the country, after 18 months of investigation and court battles, civil society organizations call on the US-based company to comply with the Government decision and stop undermining the right to education. In a press release dated 6 February 2018, the Government of Uganda reiterated that Bridge schools “will not be permitted to open/operate this school year (2018). Bridge International Academies, a for-profit company which operates 63 schools in Uganda, had reopened on Monday, at the beginning of the academic year in the country. This was despite a letter of 29^th January from the Government of Uganda warning the company that its schools would not be allowed to operate, and a November 2016 court order authorizing the closure of the schools and that Bridge did not appeal...

The undersigned organizations also firmly denounce the aggressive approach taken by Bridge Academies and its supporters, who make personal attacks using social media against human rights and transparency organizations. They are particularly appalled at Bridge Academies’ use of children to defend the company through protests, even where the company is clearly acting in defiance of the law.

Furthermore, the undersigned organizations call on the Ugandan authorities to continue implementing their obligation to monitor and regulate private schools, including Bridge Academies, in application of UN statements and resolutions. Given the grave and systemic pattern of violation of the law by the company, they also call on all investors in Bridge Academies to immediately discharge their due diligence obligations and responsibilities by making no further financing commitments to Bridge and by using any suspension or termination rights to withhold any planned disbursements and withdraw existing investments in Bridge International Academies where contractually possible.