Govt. to plug 5.2B to construct, rehabilitation and maintenance of schools

Feb 15, 2021 News

Kaieteur News- The government intends to inject $5.2 billion into the rehabilitation, construction and maintenance of schools across the country in the 2021 Budget.
This was said by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with the responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh, on Friday as he read the allocations under the education sector in the National Assembly. In total, the education sector received a $60.7 billion allocation this year, a notable increase from last year’s $52 billion allocation.
Singh announced that the $5.2 billion allocation will be used for a number of projects. Works will commence on a secondary school at Prospect which is set to address the growing demands on the East Bank of Demerara according to Singh. He further stated that the Abram Zuil Secondary School will be reconstructed which will provide the necessary facilities for learners on the Essequibo Coast.

The Minister of Education conducting a site visit at the Good Hope Secondary School being constructed

New schools will also be constructed this year as the government aims to increase the number of schools across the country and a review and mapping exercise will also be conducted as they execute that vision.
Singh spoke about his administration’s immediate focus on pandemic preparedness, which includes the provision of Personal Protective Equipment for all students and teachers, retrofitting all schools with troughs, sinks and water systems to provide a safe learning environment across all levels. It must be noted, that as a condition for the physical reopening that was granted last November, all schools were required to have hand washing sinks and sanitation systems to ensure students, teachers and all other school staff practice cleanliness.
Last year, a significant sum was allocated toward the eventual reopening of schools. It provided running water, proper ventilation, working toilets, the delivery of masks to teachers, students and ancillary staff and adequate signage to promote safe behaviour as the students, teachers and staff returned to school.
“Even as we adjust education delivery to a pandemic-sensitive modality, our goals for the sector in the medium-term are set high,” Singh also said.
In order to deliver world-class education over the next five years, he stated that his administration plans to improve access with the construction and equipping of the nursery, primary and secondary schools across the country. They will also inject the necessary resources which include quality teachers, updated curricula and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratories that are comparable to international standards.

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