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Almost $9B in contracts awarded already to build 7 new schools
– Govt. to request $11B more in supplementary funds from Parliament
Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana has signed almost $9B in contracts in the last few weeks to construct and rehabilitate seven secondary schools across the country.
The Ministry of Education has embarked on a very aggressive programme aimed at ensuring universal secondary education. The government intends to attain that goal by 2025.
This year the education sector was allocated some $94 billion out of the national budget. From this $12 billion was set aside for the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities across the country.
The design of the $2 billion secondary school which will be built at Kwebanna, Region One.
Of the seven schools, which almost $9 billion has been awarded, are the St. Mary’s Secondary School which will be rebuilt, the St. George’s High School which will be rebuilt, the Christ Church Secondary School which will also be rebuilt, and Kwebanna Secondary, Hosororo Secondary, Tushcen Secondary, and the Karasabai Secondary which are all schools that will be constructed for the first time.
In terms of the schools that will be rebuilt, the ministry last month awarded a $688,161,006 contract for Christ Church Secondary which was completely destroyed by fire this year. This school will measure 209 feet x 70 feet and have 20 classrooms to accommodate 450 to 520 students. It is expected to be completed in seven months.
The design of the $864 million school which will be built at Tuschen, Region Three.
The St. Mary’s Secondary School will be rebuilt at the cost of $560.7 million and will be completed within six to seven months. Once completed, the upper flat of the building will accommodate 10 classrooms, while the second flat will house 12 classrooms along with a teachers’ Staffroom and a sanitary block. The lower flat will be equipped with six laboratories, the ministry had stated.
The St. George’s High School which was also destroyed by a fire last year, will be reconstructed to the tune of $253,831,122 and is said to be completed within five to seven months. When completed, the new building is said to be a two-story structure oriented with a panoramic view of the lower flat and measuring some 109ft x 70ft. The upper flat will feature 12 classrooms, while the lower flat will house six laboratories.
The design of the $560 million St. Mary’s Secondary School which will be rebuilt.
As for the new school buildings, for the first time, a secondary school is being built in Karasabai, Region Nine to the tune of $1,773,930,690. The modern school complex will be fitted with ten buildings, which would include the main teaching block and allied lecturing facilities, modern science laboratory for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, TVET Centres, a combined Home Economics and cafeteria area, teachers’ quarters, and an outdoor sitting forecourt. The ministry noted that once completed, the facility will house and will cater for 500 students in the classroom, and 250 students in the dormitories.
The design of the $688 million Christ Church Secondary School which will be rebuilt.
The Tuschen Secondary School, Region Three, will be constructed at a cost of $864,705,395. This school is said to be a fully reinforced concrete one flat structure combined with a circular and cylindrical building outline that is covered in a dome roof. The building is measured in several blocks from 600 sq.ft. to 7105 sq.ft. The school will consist of 24 classrooms to accommodate over 800 students.
The construction of the new school at Hosororo, Region One, will cost $2,619,208,261. This school which is measured 409 ft. by 25 ft. will have 29 classrooms to accommodate over 500 students.
An artist’s impression of the $253 million St. George’s High School which will be rebuilt.
In Region One as well, the ministry is building a secondary school at Kwebanna to the tune of $2,017,419,996. The new state-of-the-art building is said to house over 600 students and over 25 teachers. It will consist of 30 classrooms, space for science laboratories, TVET Centre, Home Economics, and Industrial Arts just to name a few. This building is said to be completed within seven to eight months.
Meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali at the commissioning of the $585million Abram Zuil Secondary School disclosed that the government needs an additional $11billion in supplementary funds to advance projects in the education sector.
President Ali revealed that the funds will be allocated for retrofitting, maintenance, and renovation of existing educational facilities and includes provisions for the improvement of teachers’ living quarters.
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