Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Sod turned to construct first secondary school in Micobie Village
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside the contractor and regional officials turning the sod for the Micobie Secondary School.
Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education on Tuesday turned the sod to mark the commencement of the Micobie Secondary School project, Region Eight. The new school, the first in the village will benefit approximately 150 students.
The $253,561,500 project was awarded to NK Engineering Services through a competitive bidding process. Already, an initial mobilization amount of $76,068,450 was provided on the project, according to the Ministry of Education.
Speaking at the simple ceremony, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand noted the importance of the school and told residents that they are to hold the contractors accountable to deliver on their promise.
“We want him (the contractor) to give the work to you, we want you to benefit as far as you can, but we want the school. And he had to sign a contract that said how long he has to build the school and the quality he has to give us. So you also have to be reliable and show up when you have to, because this is employment for you,” she said.
The Minister also told residents that regardless of their academic background, their presence alone can aid in the development of their children’s education.
“You don’t have to have a PhD, you don’t have to have a big house; you have to have interest. I know of a parent who watches her child do his work from beginning to end. She doesn’t know or understand what he’s doing, but she watches him work. And so, we need your partnership, also. Many times, it’s not parents alone, it’s grandparents also, who I know are taking up that role as well,” she urged.
This publication understands that the school is scheduled for completion within six months. The school is said to feature a staff room for teachers and 10 classrooms, including five specialized labs for science, IT, home economics, visual arts, and library services. This comprehensive infrastructure underscores the school’s commitment to providing a well-rounded educational experience, fostering both academic excellence and community development in the village, the ministry reported.
Kaieteur News had reported that the move to have a secondary school erected in the village was announced last year by authorities following the deadly Mahdia dormitory fire. The dormitory, before it was gutted by fire once accommodated female students from Micobie and other villages that were attending the Mahdia Secondary School.
It was reported last year August that Minister Manickchand told the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly that it was determined at consultations with the community and relevant stakeholders that there was reluctance to have another dormitory built at the Mahdia location.
Instead, a decision was made to construct a secondary school at Micobie that would cater to students from that community that were once residing at the dorms.
“The decision of the Cabinet was to build a secondary school at Micobie which would take care of the Micobie students who were in the dorms as well as those who are now leaving Grade Six. And the girls at Grades 9,10 and 11 and who are in the dorms will come out and be housed at the President’s College,” Manickchand said at the time.
School projects like Micobie form parts of the ministry’s $74.4B allocation from this year’s budget.
This newspaper reported too that the Ministry has embarked on an aggressive programme to ensure that the nation’s children have access to secondary education. The Government has set 2025 to achieve universal secondary education. To achieve this, the ministry has since moved to have several secondary schools constructed across the country.
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