President commissions two new secondary schools in Reg. 9

President Irfaan Ali commissioned two new secondary schools in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) on Saturday, highlighting significant progress in education development in the region.

The Katoka Secondary and Yupukari Secondary schools were built to eradicate ‘primary tops’ in the region. These primary tops are departments within primary schools that cater for children of secondary school age who have no formal secondary school to attend. And the government has been building new secondary schools as part of efforts to achieve universal secondary education.

With the two schools, some 465 children are expected to be enrolled – 265 at Katoka Secondary and 200 at Yupukari.

President Ali said that it is not just about building schools but also ensuring that teachers are trained to deliver quality education. Already, some 491 trained teachers are in Region Nine. He also added that teachers’ stipends have been increased from $10,000 monthly to a full salary every month. Additionally, more than 473 teachers are currently under training in Region Nine.

“It is because of the investment we have made to ensure that your children have access to secondary education that gives them the basis on which they can now enter the teaching profession,” the Head of State said.

The newly commissioned Katoka Secondary School has 12 secondary teachers, 10 of whom are trained. A teachers’ quarters was also commissioned on Saturday. The school is equipped with a home economics department, an Information Technology and smart classroom, and a science classroom.

“In that secondary school, there is a science lab, and two young girls came up and said, ‘Mr. President, we can now dream of being doctors without fear, because we now can do science in this secondary school,” President Ali said.

He urged the young people to take advantage of the opportunities available to them adding: “And I always tell the young people, don’t take this for granted. It is not because you are better than your parents or grandparents. It is because they never had the opportunity that you have. They never had the access that you have. They never had the GOAL scholarship. They never had free university education like you have. They never had access to Secondary School.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, speaking at the commissioning of the Yupukari Secondary School, said seven new secondary schools are currently being built in Region Nine.