Sod turned for $231M Jawalla Secondary School

Jun 20, 2024 News

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and a representative of Sheriff Construction Inc. alongside students and officials turning the sod to commence the Jawalla Secondary School project.

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education, on Wednesday, turned the sod for the construction of the $231 million Jawalla Secondary School in Region Seven which is set to cater for up to 250 students.

According to a release from the ministry, the school building will be constructed by Sheriff Construction Inc. who has a period of eight months to complete the project. It was reported that the school, when completed, will be equipped with facilities including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Information Technology laboratories, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) laboratories, a Home Economics room, library space, teachers’ quarters, spacious classrooms and a small dormitory just to name a few.

Plans to have a secondary school constructed in the community of Jawalla were made last year when Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and other senior officers within the ministry visited the community in March 2023 to determine the ideal location for the school. Speaking at the simple yet significant ceremony, the Minister highlighted that after the successful completion of the school, the students of the community will no longer have to wonder how they are getting education, and if they have to leave their region to attain same.

“As you can see, we’re training teachers right from the village… this is the first time in the history of Guyana, we have as many teachers training. We use to be able to train about 535 teachers per year. We’re now training just under 2000 teachers per year. Many of them are coming from hinterland regions where they are returning to serve,” she said.

The Minister explained that these initiatives are being taken to ensure that teachers and students can thrive regardless of where they are in the country.

It was reported that the secondary school will be the second of its kind in the Upper Mazaruni District and will help to ease the overcrowding at the DC Caesar Fox Secondary School in Waramadong. The ministry stated that this school will provide students in other communities, including Quebanang, Kako, Imbaimadai, Kambaru, Ominike, Abbou, and Eladupai, with the opportunity to receive a sound secondary education. Kaieteur News understands that these students are currently either not receiving a secondary education or are being educated in primary tops which is a secondary department in a primary school.

In addition to Jawalla, Phillipai Village which is located in the same region will soon benefit from a secondary school. Bids were opened on Tuesday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office for the project.

As reported previously, the ministry has embarked on an aggressive programme to ensure that the nation’s children have access to secondary education by constructing several secondary schools across the country. The Government has set 2025 as the target to achieve Universal Secondary Education (USE).

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Abbou, and Eladupai, education, Imbaimadai, Kako, Kambaru, Ominike, Priya Manickchand, Quebanang, Upper Mazaruni

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