Monrovia — The management of Bridge Liberia has begun the distribution of reading and other learning materials for the current academic year to schools under its management.
The social enterprise which is supporting over three hundred Government Schools provides materials that are needed to aid learning on a daily basis in its supported schools.
Every semester, textbooks, sanitary materials and all stationery to aid the operation of these schools are distributed across the fifteen counties where Bridge Liberia has operations.
John P. Mitchell School in Margibi County is amongst the first batch for distribution.
The Principal, Madam Blakie Doe, who was excited to receive the materials on behalf of her school, said,
"I'm particularly excited because all my students can now have their own reading materials and follow the lessons as the teacher presents."
The model of teaching in Bridge Liberia supported schools, calls for each student to have his or her own text, practice and homework book during classroom sections. This way it is easier to follow through lesson presentations and students can independently practice what has been taught.
The textbooks provided by Bridge Liberia to its supported schools have contributed to significant improvement in reading among its students with data available to prove this.
In Bridge Liberia's first year of operation, a Learning in Liberia Report showed that students at Bridge Liberia-supported schools could read 7 more words per minute and answer 6% more questions correctly about the story they just read.
Further, 17% of Bridge-supported public school second graders met reading fluency benchmarks for the first time, compared to only 4% of second graders at traditional public schools. At the end of the first year, a randomized control trial by the Center for Global Development found Bridge-supported students had reading gains equivalent to a whole additional year of schooling when compared to other government schools.
The provision of sanitary materials and stationery by Bridge Liberia also reduces the burden of the lack of necessary items for the smooth running of these schools.
