$30M primary school commissioned in Meriwau Village

Aug 08, 2025 News

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside pupils and other officials standing in front the newly commissioned Meriwau Primary School.

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Education on Tuesday commissioned a new $30 million primary school in the Amerindian village of Meriwau which is located in South Central Rupununi, Region Nine.

Deemed as the first-ever primary school in the village, the Education Ministry shared that the project represents a critical step toward bridging the education gap in hinterland regions. “Until now, children in Meriwau, a predominantly indigenous Wapichan village, had to travel to neighboring communities such as Shulinab to attend school, often covering long distances on foot. This challenge led to irregular attendance and in many cases, children being deprived of consistent education,” the ministry stated.

Providing access closer to home, the newly completed school has an enrollment of 29 pupils and features modern classrooms and a teacher’s quarters. Additionally, there is construction of a kitchen that is currently underway, which will support the delivery of the government’s school feeding programme, ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals.

According to the ministry, in her brief remarks, Minister Priya Manickchand emphasised that this project is not an isolated achievement, but part of a broader commitment to education access and equity across Guyana, especially in underserved hinterland regions and further reminded attendees that the government’s broader goal is to eliminate educational disparities, particularly in Indigenous and remote communities.

The ministry noted that in Region Nine alone, the government is currently constructing 22 nursery schools, seven primary schools and nine secondary schools.

As it relates to Meriwau Village, it has a population of approximately 300 residents and has traditionally relied on subsistence farming and cattle rearing. The ministry highlighted that without a local school, many children dropped out early or never enrolled due to the hardship of travel and lack of accommodations, and that is why the new school marks a pivotal change in the community’s development and will reduce these barriers significantly.

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commissioned, hinterland regions, Meriwau Primary School, Priya Manickchand, Rupununi

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