Latest update June 17th, 2026 12:40 AM
$177M New Teaching Block Commissioned at Yarrowkabra Primary to ease overcrowding
(Kaieteur News) – The Ministry of Education on Tuesday commissioned a new $177 million teaching block at Yarrowkabra Primary School along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway a direct response to years of overcrowding at the Grade C institution, which has seen its student population grow to nearly double its original capacity.
Minister of Education Sonia Parag officiated the commissioning ceremony, joined by Regional Executive Officer of Region Four Juan Edghill Jr. and other senior officials.
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag commissioning a new $177M wing at the Yarrowkabra Primary School on Tuesday.
The newly commissioned wing comprises eight classrooms, a canteen, a staff office, and a dedicated Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) room. It is designed to accommodate approximately 200 pupils from Grades Four to Six providing much-needed relief to a school that was originally built for 250 learners but now enrolls 415, supported by a teaching staff of 21.
Regional Education Officer Keane Adams, in her opening remarks, explained that the school had undergone substantial growth in recent years, driving demand for educational services well beyond what the school’s infrastructure was designed to handle.
“The significant increase in enrolment created challenges for overcrowding and available learning spaces, making additional infrastructure not only desirable but necessary,” Adams said. “The commissioning of the new wing will significantly reduce the overcrowding and provide a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.”
She added that the expanded footprint now positions the school to introduce additional facilities, including special needs and music programmes, ensuring that learners regardless of ability or circumstance have access to a more rounded education.
Delivering the featured address, Minister Parag was direct about what overcrowding means in practice and why fixing it matters.
“If you’re having overcrowding at a school, it means that a teacher is teaching a classroom of far more than what is supposed to obtain. It means that children will not be comfortable in that environment. It means that learning may suffer or be disrupted,” she said.
In formally declaring the block commissioned, Parag called on students to take pride in maintaining the facility and urged teachers to promptly report any maintenance needs to the Ministry.
“Once we know, we will work with you to fix it and you have the entire regional structure here ready to commit to you,” she told the gathering. “When you have moved on and gone, there will be another generation coming up behind you to benefit from this.”
The Minister also signalled that the Yarrowkabra commissioning is part of a wider national push, disclosing that the government expects to commission more than 18 schools this year and that Guyana is on track to achieve universal secondary access in 2026.
“Education is the core of any nation’s development. Education will take you out of poverty. It will ensure that inequality is equalised. So, these are the things that we are investing in,” she said.
Regional Executive Officer Edghill Jr. used the occasion to outline a broader package of improvements already completed or underway at Yarrowkabra Primary. These include repainting works, repairs to the lighting system, improvements to water supply to address long-standing pressure issues, widening of the school’s entrance to improve vehicular access, construction of an external classroom shed, and ongoing works to upgrade fencing, a secondary entrance, and sanitary facilities.
Edghill also announced that Starlink internet connectivity will be installed in the new wing bringing high-speed internet access to the facility and expanding digital learning opportunities for students in the community.
“This commissioning is far more than the opening of another building,” Edghill said. “It is a celebration of opportunity, a vision, and our unwavering belief that every child in Guyana deserves access to quality education in an environment that nurtures excellence, creativity, and hope.”
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