Several new schools are slated for construction this year and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that this is in response to the growing population and the inability of many schools to adequately accommodate learners.
“Whenever we look at a new school- nursery, primary or secondary- is whether the schools that currently exist are overcrowded or if they can hold more students,” Manickchand told reporters at the sidelines of an event on Friday.
She also explained that the Education Ministry has been engaging in some amount of forward planning, considering population growth and what are certain trends in a community.
At Karasabai in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo), for example, Manickchand said that there are students attending a primary school instead of secondary school because the four secondary schools in the region are “filled to capacity”.
And so, a decision has been made to construct a secondary school in that village. And since there are several communities surrounding Karasabai, many children will be able to benefit from this new construction.
The minister’s statements come at the heels of the announcement made by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh that several new schools are slated for construction works in 2022.
During his 2022 National Budget presentation, the Finance Minister said that nursery schools at Hydronie, Haslington and Vryheid’s Lust; and primary schools at Bamia/Amelia’s Ward, Kaikan, Karabairu, Zeelugt and Oronoque are all slated for construction works.
Manickchand also reminded that there are ongoing works at the Prospect Secondary and the Hope Secondary too. These are expected to provide relief to hundreds of students.
Overall, $74.4 billion has been allocated to improving access to education and education delivery in the 2022 National Budget.
Commenting briefly on the budget, the Education Minister said that the large allocation will facilitate an expansion of the education services offered nationwide while striving to ensure that there is a more equitable education access.
