Over 600 students of Kwebanna Village and surrounding areas in Region One, will benefit from the construction of a modern secondary school, following the signing of six contracts valued at $2.017 billion, on Wednesday.
The project comprises a six-lot facility which is scheduled to be completed within seven to eight months. Contracts were awarded to Singh and Son Construction, Bree’s Enterprise, Supreme Contracting and Supplies, and AS Construction.
The facility will have over 30 classrooms, laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Technology, TVET, Home Economics, and Industrial Technology. It will also have an auditorium, a staff room, and fire alarm systems, and will be powered by solar energy.
A dormitory to house 250 students and teachers’ duplex living quarters for 25 teachers will also be constructed.
Importantly, the state-of-the-art facility will be designed to meet the policy set by the ministry for improved and universal secondary education.
During the signing ceremony at the ministry’s boardroom, Minister, Priya Manickchand said the government has embarked on an aggressive programme to provide access to secondary education across Guyana.
Being the first secondary school in Kwebanna, when completed, the learning centre will serve the villages of Kwebanna, Santa Cruz, Waikerebi, Chinese Landing, Kokerite, Kariako, Warapoka, Assakata, and Unity Grant.
The primary school at Kewbanna is currently accommodating the students and the population there is overwhelmingly increasing.
“We need these schools, this school particularly, to be able to offer quality education. This school will change lives and give people opportunities they never had before…There’s going to be a point where 10 to 15 years from now, the children going to this school are going to be the teachers of the school.”
This year’s budgetary allocation of $94.4 billion will pave the way for the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing schools, infrastructural works on dormitories, and the construction of teachers’ quarters, among others.
In line with the ministry’s effort to achieve universal education in the region, new schools will be constructed in Huradiah in the Moruca sub-district, and Waramuri.
