Over 20 new secondary schools under construction to expand equal access to education

Equal access to learning opportunities is transforming education in Guyana, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said Wednesday, as she announced that 22 new secondary schools are currently under construction.

Speaking at the commissioning of a new secondary school in Region Three, Manickchand detailed a nationwide rollout of schools – either already underway or set to begin soon – to better serve students across all regions.

The new schools will be located at:

• Region One – Horosoro, Kwebanna, Mathews Ridge
• Region Two – Cotton Field
• Region Three – Crane, Nismes
• Region Four – Prospect, Kaneville
• Region Six – Orealla Siparuta
• Region Seven – Jewalla, Phillipai, Karrau, Issano
• Region Eight – Kopinang, Monkey Mountain, Micobie
• Region Nine – Karassabai, Shulinab, Karaudarnau, Nappi, Massara, Maruranau, Tabatinga
• Region Ten – Christianburgh

“Nobody is going to be able to say, ‘we do not have opportunities because of where we live’,” the minister told the gathering.

Manickchand reminded that Guyana has not yet achieved universal secondary education since many communities still lack schools. The construction drive, she said, is critical to bridging this gap and ensuring students nationwide have equal access to opportunities.

She noted the broader reforms transforming the education sector, including an increase in trained teachers from 63 per cent to 98 per cent, and the doubling of the teacher workforce from under 7,000 to nearly 15,000.

“With greater access to nursery, primary, and secondary education, and more trained teachers in classrooms, we have seen the equalisation of results across the country,” Manickchand said.

The minister added that these investments are paying off, with significant improvements in pass rates at both the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams in 2025.

In three and a half years, the PPP/C government built 67 nurseries and 45 primary schools across Guyana.