A promise was made to the residents of the Martyr’s Ville Community on the East Coast of Demerara that a nursery school will be built in the community to relieve parents of the burden of taking their children to the Mon Repos Nursery School and the Good Hope Nursery School which are located further away.
The completion of the school will also serve to eliminate the overcrowding at the
other two schools. The school was opened on September 5, 2022, the first day of the
school term and was officially commissioned today by the Honourable Minister of
Education, Priya Manickchand in the company of the Attorney General and Minister
of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC; Regional Chairman, Mr Daniel Seeram and other
senior officers within the Ministry of Education and the Regional Administration.
Stembiso Grant
Minister Manickchand said today that Guyanese should always expect her
Government to deliver on its promises and that the construction of the school is
another example of fulfilling a promise that was made to the people of Guyana and
specifically the residents of Martyrs’ Ville.
She said that the Government of Guyana believes in investing heavily in the
education sector and that this includes constructing facilities where there are needed
to ensure access to quality education.
Minister Manickchand reminded the teachers that were present today that Region
Four produced one of the students who tied for the top spot at this year’s National
Grade Six Assessment, Neuel Bancroft from the Annandale Primary School. She said
that in addition to parental support and natural brilliance, the student had to be
surrounded by great teachers from nursery school up to Grade Six.
She congratulated all teachers and urged those present today to take stock of what their responsibilities are and to ensure that they properly educate their pupils since a solid nursery foundation is important.
The Education Minister also appealed to the parents present today and explained to
them that one common thread running through the stories of successful students is
the support they receive from parents. “We are asking for your partnership. This
means having a deep interest in your children’s education. When we get partnerships
right we will see children excelling in ways we didn’t imagine,” Minister
Manickchand remarked.
Further, she said that the Government of Guyana promises that children will
continue to receive support such as cash grants, meals and textbooks among other
benefits. He said that for the first time in the history of the country all Grade Six
children will receive breakfast daily. She said Grade Five and Six children are
receiving all the textbooks they need free of cost and shortly after all primary school
children will receive all the textbooks they need for free.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall also thanked teachers
for their hard work and saluted on behalf of the Government for a job well done.
On the topic of the new school, he said that less than three decades ago the land on
which the edifice stands was a cow pasture. He enlightened those present today that
he had attended nursery school in the community which was a ‘bottom house’.
He said that it is important that the transformation that has taken place and
continues to occur must be appreciated. He said that there are many more projects
slated for the region including a modern hospital at Enmore, new water treatment
plants at Friendship/Buxton, Bachelor’s Adventure and Mahaica and an industrial
complex where the Enmore Estate factory was which will create jobs.
He said that these projects and more are being done to create a better country and
future for the young children coming up.
Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram described the school as a blessing to the
community and the region since it will offset the overcrowding at the Mon Repos
Nursery and the Good Hope Nursery School.
Assistant Chief Education Officer (Nursery), Mr. Devendre Persaud said that it is the
commitment of the Government and the Ministry of Education to provide education
for all Guyanese whether they live in the city or rural communities and that Martyrs’
Ville Nursery is a testimony of such commitment.
Regional Education Officer, Ms. Stembiso Grant said that the school adds to the list
of 58 nursery schools in the region. She said the school is currently staffed with 98%
trained teachers. She thanked the Ministry of Education for conceptualizing the
project and bring to fruition to improve access and delivery of education at the
nursery level.
