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Govt. to build more secondary schools – Education Minister
Kaieteur News – With plans on achieving a universal secondary education for all children in Guyana, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Monday announced that the Government is looking to build new secondary schools across the country.
The Minister at a sod-turning ceremony on Monday stated that the Government is trying to move away from “primary tops” and have students properly enroll in secondary schools to obtain their secondary education.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (Photo credit: Ministry of Education)
“Our intention is that we would achieve universal secondary education in this first term. What is universal secondary education? It means universally all over this country every child must be able to access a seat in a secondary school to complete their secondary education. And even as we work on achieving universal secondary education; that is giving every Guyanese child access,” the Minister said.
In revealing the plans for more schools, Minister Manickchand announced that in Region One, works are in progress to build two new secondary schools in that region. “The one that was burnt by arson, as well as another school at Hosororo,” she stated.
As it relates to Region Two, works are currently ongoing to complete the Abram Zuil Secondary School, as well as to build dormitories, so that children from the Charity and Pomeroon areas could be accommodated.
In Region Three, the Minister said that the Government will build a brand new secondary school at Tushcen on the West Coast of Demerara as well as one at the West Bank/ Vreed-en-Hoop area.
In Region Four, she revealed that works are ongoing to complete the Yarrowkabra Secondary School. On the East Bank of Demerara, preparatory works are being done to begin the construction of the World-Bank funded, Prospect Secondary School, and to complete the Good Hope School.
In the Georgetown area, the Ministry is looking to put down a brand new school at Turkeyen, to accommodate some 800 to 1000 students. They are also plans to rebuild the St. George’s School which was recently destroyed by fire, as well as, the St. Mary’s Secondary School.
According to the Minister, in Region Five, there are plans to create more dorm spaces for children coming from riverain areas and in Region Six, there are also plans to put build a brand new secondary school at Orealla along with a dorm to take care of Orealla and Siparuta students.
In Region Seven at the Upper Mazaruni area, they are going to build a brand new school to “take off the overcrowding of the DC Caesar Fox Secondary as well cater for those children in primary tops.”
As it relates to Region Eight, the Education Minister mentioned that they are going to extend the Paramakatoi and the Kato dorms, as well as build a new secondary school with additional dorms. In Region Nine, she said, there are plans to build a secondary school at Karasabai as well as one at the Awarewaunau/ Shea area. In Region 10, they are going to rehabilitate the schools there.
The Ministry of Education has already issued tenders for some of the schools mentioned. The Minister on revealing the areas where schools will be built said, “So I hope you see that any of us can stand and tell you how we will bring in universal secondary education. It’s not a dream lock down somewhere in our heads; it’s something we are working feverishly towards.”
On Monday too, the Minister hinted that the Education Ministry is currently exploring a reform type of placement at National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) level. She explained that it “can’t happen now, when we get all our schools in place those that I just named for you,…and there is a secondary school that is available to every child, then the NGSA can serve the purpose to say children who are extremely gifted are offered places at the national schools, then the regional schools, then everybody goes to a school close to your home.”
When asked on the sidelines about the funding for these upcoming projects, she added some of the projects will be funded locally, while others would be funded through various International Financial Institutes.
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