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$700M new Brickdam Secondary School commissioned
The brand new Brickdam Secondary School which was commissioned on Monday at the corner of Brickdam and Camp Street, Georgetown
Kaieteur News – The new Brickdam Secondary School, located at the corner of Brickdam and Camp Street, Georgetown was on Monday commissioned by President Irfaan Ali and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand.
The three-storey school building which cost almost $700 million is set to accommodate some 485 students along with 51 teachers.
President Ali, who delivered the feature address, said that the construction of this school represents another installment in efforts which his government is making to improve educational access, attainment and quality all across the country.
“And that is why today we say without fear of successful contradiction, education is in safe hands, it is in good hands, it is moving in the right direction,” he stated.
The President disclosed that since 2020 the government of Guyana has embarked on an unprecedented journey to transform secondary education across this country.
“Our goal is clear, bold and unyielding, by September 2026 we will achieve universal secondary education that is every single child will have secondary education, that means every child whether in the bustling streets in Georgetown or the remote areas of the hinterland will have access to secondary schooling,” he declared.
With 40 secondary schools either built or under construction since 2020, the President highlighted that this type of expansion has never before been attempted or achieved in Guyana’s history, and it is a bold stride that spans hinterland and coastland alike. He reiterated that when these new schools are completed, no longer there will be primary tops.
On that note, the President announced that in the coming days the government will be signing the contracts for a number of laboratories to be built in hinterland schools, noting that science would be accessible to students in the hinterland.
“We are not just building schools, we are creating opportunities and trenching equity, fostering greater quality. No longer will students have to travel miles or be confined by geography to access equal education, this government is turning access to action because education is not just a privilege, it is a right,” the Head-of-State informed.
Further, president Ali said that in the next five years great emphasis would be placed on recreational facilities to support academic education. To this end, he said “I want to see in our education system, Friday afternoons after lunch, completely dedicated to sports and physical education. I believe strongly that if we are to make a shift from the device led world to human-led world, we need to make these important changes.”
Since assuming office, President Ali said the government has spent some $600 billion on the education sector.
Meanwhile, Minister Manickchand highlighted the importance of building out these schools, stating that, “It’s not just a building, it’s the rooms where we would create Guyana’s next leaders, it’s the edifice where we would see imagination and innovation and change coming out of.”
Speaking briefly on the old Brickdam school, Manickchand related that the building did not belong to the state, and it was not conducive for learning. “…and then the owners told us they wanted it back and they told us we couldn’t repair, so we moved to East La Penitence.”
Kaieteur News reported that due to the initial school building being in a deplorable condition, the students and staff were relocated to the East La Penitence Primary School back in 2016.
According to the education minister, the spanking new building consist of 22 classrooms, three staff rooms, one counselor room, a sick bay, a headteacher’s office, two deputy headteachers’ offices, two science laboratories, three home economic rooms, one computer room, an auditorium, an Industrial Technology room, three restrooms, and a canteen just to name a few.
Additionally, Yvette McBean-Hawker who expressed gratitude to the government for the new school building, said that the investment reflects a commitment that every child has access to equal education in a safe, modern and inclusive environment.
It was reported that in April, the minister announced that the old St. Mary’s School building located at the corner of Brickdam and Camp Street, Georgetown would become the new Brickdam Secondary School. This publication reported that in 2023, the ministry had signed six contracts totalling $560.7M to construct the St. Mary’s Secondary School building, but with furnishing and additional resources the school project cost almost $700 million.
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Let Progress continue ..God’s blessings over Guyana is here Brickdam close to my heart ..saints praise god Bunny Ramson days ! Father Hopkinson..Feenie Lynch