Monrovia- December 30,2020: The Consortium of Education Defenders of Liberia has described workings of Bridge Academy as scam. COEDEL believes that Bridge academy is only after the millions, it is making out of Liberia and doing little to help public schools it runs in the country.

The situation in Grand Bassa county with Sarah Simpson George Primary School and the Buchanan Elementary Demonstration School clearly shows how Bridge Academy is poorly treating the schools, it runs.

The Sarah Simpson George Primary School and the Buchanan Elementary Demonstration School share the same fence in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County. The both schools are public schools. Prior to the coming of Bridge International Academy (BIA) in 2016, the Sarah Simpson George School served as feeder school to the Demonstration School. Opposite the two schools is the Bassa High School which is the biggest public senior high school in Grand Bassa County.

There are two Sarah Simpson George Schools in Buchanan. One is operated by BIA with the principal taking direct instructions from BIA and the other is operated by the MOE under the principal ship of Madam Martha Potter. 
Mr. Johnson Yarkpawolo, the Vice Principal and Acting Principal of the dislodged Sarah Simpson George explained how the two schools with the same named came about. According to him in August 2016, BIA’s representatives visited the school campus and explained to the school administration that BIA was about to administer aptitude test which result would have determined whether or not BIA would work with the school. Madam Martha Potter inquired as to whether the education authorities in the county-the county and district education officers were aware of their visit to her school. They responded in the affirmative. The teachers expressed fear that they heard that a certain group in Liberia were going around the country and getting rid of teachers.

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BIA representatives clarified that was not the case. With no further resistance, the teachers in the school submitted to the test. After three weeks, the BIA representatives returned to Buchanan and announced that only two persons among the number of persons who took the test passed. It was at that time the teachers began wondering what the motive behind the move. While they were in a state of bewilderment, the BIA representatives returned to Monrovia. Upon their next visit, two BIA representatives (one Francis and another gentleman) submitted a form to the principal of the school to sign stating that she has agreed to turn the school over to BIA. But she resisted the form on ground that the education authorities in the county were not informed. The BIA representative then got angry and promised to get rid of Madam Potter and her group from the school.

After few days, the County Education officer (CEO), invited Madam Potter to his office. During the meeting, the CEO informed the principal to proceed with her registration. After registering 250 students, the BIA’s representatives returned this time around with strong mandate from the Minister of Education authorizing Madam Potter through the county education authorities to turn the school over to BIA. Though the CEO was not satisfied, he had to enforce the mandate from his boss, the Minister of Education.

COEDEL says this set the stage for conflict and confusion. While the CEO was contemplating on reassigning Madam Potter and her teachers to a different public school, the parents were insisting to have their children attend the school. The CEO at certain point advised the principal to refund the parents but by then the school administration had begun expanding the funds that were being generated. While the principal of the school was in this state of total confusion, BIA was busy making preparation to take over the school.

Madam Potter had no other alternatives but to find another building that she would run her school from. She contacted a friend of hers to let her use the building that she (her friend) previously used as school building since they had relocated to their own facility. 
The friend did agree to let Martha Potter and her team use the building to continue the impacting of knowledge but with the understanding that she would be responsible to pay rent.