Sod turned for new $421M annex at St. Joseph’s High School

Jul 05, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali on Wednesday joined the Ministry of Education in turning the sod for the construction of a new $421 million annex for St. Joseph High School in Georgetown.

The project is being funded by the World Bank. The education ministry in its initial advertisement had stated that the Government of Guyana received financing from the bank through the ‘Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project’, and part of the proceeds will go towards building the annex.

The new two-story annex will be constructed by Khemraj Nauth Inc. who is expected to complete the works in 10 months. The works will be overlooked by consultant GR Engineering Co.

This publication understands that the annex will include 10 classrooms, a physics and biology lab, an AutoCAD room, an Allied Arts room, Clothing and Textile classroom, a Home Management classroom, a sickbay, a counselling room, a staff room, and modern washroom facilities for both students and teachers.

The building will also be designed with inclusivity and ADA-compliance and will include wheelchair accessibility features and infrastructure to ensure students and visitors with disabilities can fully participate in every aspect of school life.

Delivering the feature address, First Lady, a former student of St. Joseph High, noted that the initiative marks the laying of a foundation for opportunity, growth and transformation. “This structure signifies a collective confidence in young people who will become the country’s leaders, innovators, educators and nation builders of tomorrow,” she stated.

She added that this more than $400 million investment exemplifies the government’s dedication to strengthening the education sector and ensuring that every child has access to quality learning environments that foster excellence and inspire achievement.

“This new annex said to accommodate 250 students, prioritises investment in the minds, talents and aspirations of our nation’s greatest resources, our children. This investment also represents strength in partnership. This collaboration with key stakeholders such as the world bank, the school board, the Parent Teacher Association demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to investing in the limitless potential of our youths,” the First Lady said.

Commenting on the modern amenities that will be established at the annex, she highlighted that the sick bay and counselling centre that will be included there aligned closely with her initiative that she proudly champions, the Menstrual Hygiene Initiative.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag in brief remarks stated the project forms part of the wider vision of President Irfaan Ali in ensuring access to education. She reiterated that with the building and completion of several infrastructures at the secondary level, by the end of the year Guyana will achieve universal access to secondary education.

“This is a school that grows from strength to strength and now houses more than 500 students and if we are going to give you access, it is not only building a school to give you access but it is also extending existing schools so that we do not place you in a position where you are overcrowded and cannot thrive in that environment. Access doesn’t just mean a space; access also means that you can have an environment in which you are comfortable,” the minister noted in extending gratitude to the world bank on this collaboration.

She added that St. Joseph High is one of the country’s top national schools, and with the completion of the annex, would allow the ministry to place more students at the school.

Senior Educational Specialist at the World Bank, Lauren Marston said the new block which marks yet another significant milestone in Guyana’s journey to transform its education sector, represents more than an infrastructure, and that it stands as a testament for what is possible when financial resources are paired with local knowledge, rigorous tenders and shared commitment to quality.

“Guyana has demonstrated time and time again its capacity and will to invest in its people. The resources to build schools exist, but what this partnership is about, it is about ensuring that every dollar invested translates into measurable improvements and learning outcomes,” the education specialist noted.

The world bank is also collaborating with the ministry in funding infrastructure projects at Annandale Secondary, Christianburg-Wismar Secondary, St. Stanislaus College and Health Faculty and Health Sciences at the University of Guyana.

Marston added that the world bank is “not here as financiers, but as partners with a long-term commitment to the Ministry of Education and the people of Guyana.”

Principal of St. Joseph High School, Mrs. Tulsidai Raghubansi, providing an overview of the project shared that the project is a result of long planning, consultations, collaboration among many stakeholders, and extensive discussions with the school board, teachers, students, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and members of the wider community.

She recalled when representatives from the Project Planning Unit visited the school in late 2024, several challenges were highlighted that were affecting them at the school. These include the inadequate washroom facility for the school’s growing student population, overcrowding classrooms, insufficient facilities for practical subjects such as Agri. Science, and the need for a dedicated Allied Arts space to support music, drama and other creative discipline.

The principal noted that it was from those discussions that the school can benefit from the construction of an annex to address some of these pressing needs.

According to Mrs. Raghubansi, the decision to build the new annex at the northern section of the school maximises the available space while preserving the school functionally, accessibility and maintaining the character of the campus.

“This expansion will reduce overcrowding, and provide our students with space they need to learn collaboratively and strive as students of St. Joseph High,” she said.

As reported previously, the Guyana government signed the US$44 million loan agreement with the world bank back in 2022 for the ‘Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project’ which focuses on the expansion of access to quality education at the secondary level and improving technical and vocational training (TVET).

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• Education Project, Ministry of Education, Sod, St. Joseph’s High School, World Bank

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