Latest update January 3rd, 2025 12:03 AM
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$60M St. Gabriel’s Nursery School commissioned
commissioned, Priya Manickchand, St. Gabriel’s Nursery School, young children, government
Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education on Friday commissioned the $60,100,000 St. Gabriel’s Nursery School in Georgetown, a facility which is designed to provide high-quality early childhood education.
According to information released by the ministry, the school is equipped with modern classrooms, interactive learning environments, and outdoor play areas that are designed to foster both academic growth and social development for young children.
Construction of the $60 million nursery school began in March 2022 and was executed by contractor Trevon David Construction. The new school is said to be accommodating 161 pupils and 13 staff members across 10 classrooms which are divided equally into 5 first-year and 5 second-year classrooms.
Not the first school project to be commissioned for the year, it was reported that this project among others all form part of the government’s aim at enhancing educational access and quality for all Guyanese.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the commissioning ceremony revealed that although nursery education is not mandated in Guyana, the country has the highest enrollment rate of nursery aged children in the Commonwealth Caribbean.
“That is Guyana’s interest in education, and because Nursery education is not compulsory, it has never received the same kind of infrastructure, the same kind of attention that Primary and Secondary has. But from 2020 to now, we have built 42 Nursery schools across this country. I so often speak of the secondary schools we’re building, that I don’t think people realize it’s across the sector that we’re developing our physical infrastructure for children,” the minister explained.
Noting the importance of nursery education, the Education Minister stated that if nursery teachers put out children who cannot read at their grade level, then the entire system feels that.
“They go into Grade One and struggle, to Grade Two and struggle, reach Grade Six and can’t write a single word on the NGSA paper, and so, this is the level where we’re investing significantly to ensure they’re getting the foundation they need,” she said.
Further, the Minister said that in addition to the creation and printing of new books to cater to the needs of children, the Ministry will continue to support parents across all educational levels.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Education Officer with Responsibility for Nursery Schools, Devendra Persaud at the ceremony emphasized the critical role of educational infrastructure and its positive impact in the learning environments. “There is strong evidence that high-quality infrastructure facilitates better instruction, improves student outcomes, and reduces dropout rates, among other benefits,” he mentioned.
The Education Ministry further highlighted that the nursery school is founded on a progressive educational philosophy that emphasizes the importance of early learning experiences. The curriculum is designed to engage children through hands-on activities, creative exploration, and individualized attention, ensuring that each child’s unique needs and interests are addressed.
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