By Chinelo Obogo
To celebrate this year’s Children’s Day in Nigeria, Bridge International Academies, Nigeria has reiterated the importance of quality education for every child by organising special lessons on children’s rights and other educational activities.
Managing Director, Bridge International Academies Nigeria, Foyinsola Akinjayeju, stated that there is a need to act with urgency as reports from bodies like UNICEF have shown a decline in the number of children learning in Nigeria.
She said: “Children’s Day in Nigeria is special for us, no doubt, but we have to make it count. We have to make it count by taking actionable steps in the best interest of these children. A recent report by UNICEF says that only a third of 10-year-olds globally are estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story and in Nigeria, the number of out-of-school children is at 20 million. This is alarming and we need to act fast. Individuals, organisations and the community at large, need to collaborate and give these children a life-changing education which aligns with our mission at Bridge International Academies.”
Speaking on how Bridge Nigeria has changed the narrative of getting more children to access quality education in its host communities, Akinjayeju added: “Since the start of our operations in 2015, we have recorded so many success stories of children who have received transformational education. For four consecutive years, our pupils have emerged as top performers in the National Common Entrance Examinations even though these schools are situated in underserved communities in Lagos and Osun. These results have attracted some sponsors who have offered scholarships to children from families who still struggle with the fees.”
Ezinne Tochie-Asogwa, Manager Academics added: “As we celebrate Children’s Day in Nigeria, it should help us remember that we must act in the best interests of the Nigerian child to embrace innovative solutions to ensure that we are aligned with the SDG4 which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for every child.”
To also mark the Children’s Day event in Nigeria, Bridge pupils at Daddy Savage Academy paid a visit to Tunji Adebayo Orphanage Home at Fagba, Iju Road to celebrate with the children and present them with gifts. At the core of Bridge Schools is inclusion and equity for every child regardless of their background.
Bridge International Academies is a network of community schools providing access to quality, affordable education to underserved communities in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and India, opened its first school in 2015 and has since then delivered life-changing education to pupils in underserved communities through 46 schools presently operating in Lagos and Osun States.
It leverages technology to deliver quality education; efficient monitoring and evaluation programs for teachers and efficient monitoring and evaluation of pupil performance.