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Unfortunately there is massive, systemic corruption within the government of Uganda, and many E. African governments. While they could be right about the poor q

Unfortunately there is massive, systemic corruption within the government of Uganda, and many E. African governments. While they could be right about the poor quality of BIA education, it's equally likely that BIA simply hasn't paid the right people for freedom to operate.

mwambua 10y ago
I don't think that's the problem in this case. While E.Africa has lots of problems with corruption, I don't think there's an insufficient number of qualified teachers. It's not clear why they wouldn't try and hire from the same pool that other private institutions hire from. The fact that they're a for-profit makes it seem like they're just trying to cut costs... and Uganda has policy that requires certain standards from its schools.
Alex3917 10y ago
Bill Gates' flagship HS in the U.S., which he wanted to model every other high school after, was also shut down for largely they same reasons... By the time it shut down, the graduation rate had dropped to less than 30%.
- Tempest1981 10y ago
  Can you provide a link to the story on this? There must be more to this -- or surely some learnings. Thanks.
  - Alex3917 10y ago
    Diane Ravitch writes about it here: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp/0465025579 https://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp... The school was called Manual High School. If you just search for "Manual" within the book on Amazon you can see at least parts of the story, around page 207.
    - Tempest1981 10y ago
      Thanks. I had assumed tech problems. Sounds like many management issues and infighting, from reading this: http://www.denverpost.com/2006/05/05/manuals-slow-death/ http://www.denverpost.com/2006/05/05/manuals-slow-death/ Excerpts: - “The Gates Foundation really screwed up by giving the grant to DPS before finding an intermediary to hold anyone accountable,” said Van Schoales, who administered the grant for the Children’s Campaign. - As more than $1 million in private funds was sunk into teacher and principal training and technical support, three feuding principals hoarded textbooks and called police on each other’s students. - The Gates Foundation now, after stories like Manual, rarely works with individual schools – preferring to collaborate with entire districts on school reform
      - Alex3917 10y ago
        It was actually mostly to do with school size. Once they got the high school down to the much smaller size they thought would be ideal, students no longer were able to participate in any of the classes or extracurriculars they wanted. So most of the students quickly came to hate school, became completely checked out, and eventually just dropped out entirely. He still hasn't paid any sort of reparations to these students, despite completely destroying their lifetime employment prospects by using them as a science experiment to stroke his own ego.

mwambua 10y ago

I don't think that's the problem in this case. While E.Africa has lots of problems with corruption, I don't think there's an insufficient number of qualified teachers. It's not clear why they wouldn't try and hire from the same pool that other private institutions hire from. The fact that they're a for-profit makes it seem like they're just trying to cut costs... and Uganda has policy that requires certain standards from its schools.

Alex3917 10y ago

Bill Gates' flagship HS in the U.S., which he wanted to model every other high school after, was also shut down for largely they same reasons... By the time it shut down, the graduation rate had dropped to less than 30%.

Tempest1981 10y ago
Can you provide a link to the story on this? There must be more to this -- or surely some learnings. Thanks.
- Alex3917 10y ago
  Diane Ravitch writes about it here: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp/0465025579 https://www.amazon.com/Death-Great-American-School-System/dp... The school was called Manual High School. If you just search for "Manual" within the book on Amazon you can see at least parts of the story, around page 207.
  - Tempest1981 10y ago
    Thanks. I had assumed tech problems. Sounds like many management issues and infighting, from reading this: http://www.denverpost.com/2006/05/05/manuals-slow-death/ http://www.denverpost.com/2006/05/05/manuals-slow-death/ Excerpts: - “The Gates Foundation really screwed up by giving the grant to DPS before finding an intermediary to hold anyone accountable,” said Van Schoales, who administered the grant for the Children’s Campaign. - As more than $1 million in private funds was sunk into teacher and principal training and technical support, three feuding principals hoarded textbooks and called police on each other’s students. - The Gates Foundation now, after stories like Manual, rarely works with individual schools – preferring to collaborate with entire districts on school reform
    - Alex3917 10y ago
      It was actually mostly to do with school size. Once they got the high school down to the much smaller size they thought would be ideal, students no longer were able to participate in any of the classes or extracurriculars they wanted. So most of the students quickly came to hate school, became completely checked out, and eventually just dropped out entirely. He still hasn't paid any sort of reparations to these students, despite completely destroying their lifetime employment prospects by using them as a science experiment to stroke his own ego.