The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has demanded for the closure of Bridge International Schools in the country for allegedly exploiting the public.
Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the education ministry should close the more than 400 low-cost slum schools which he claimed are a profit-making venture instead of operating as charity organisations.
Speaking during an Education Innovation in Africa Conference in Nairobi, the Secretary General said that the Bridge Schools were supported by organizations such as World Bank and Commonwealth Development Corporation but were instead charging exploitative monies.
“These Bridge Schools are not out to help the children but are designed for profit. The Education ministry should ensure that all children in slums are catered for by the government,” Mr Sossion said.
According to Mr Sossion, the Bridge schools which have a population of close to 100 000 students have designed hidden methods to get money from the unsuspecting parents.
He also said that the slum-based institutions have been operating unlawfully as the government had proposed strict rules for informal schools.
More than 400 nursery and primary low-cost schools have been opened in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria and are currently serving about 100 000 children.