Built at the cost of $22.9 million, the Diamond Number Two Nursery School was constructed to accommodate the constant growth of school-aged children in the community.
The new modern facility, located at Fifth Avenue in Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, was commissioned on Wednesday with the capacity of sitting a total of 120 pupils in its six classrooms. However, while the school was now commissioned and officially handed over to the regional department, it has opened since last year for the 2017 academic year.
Currently, the school has 60 learners enrolled in its first year and 40 in the year two programme. Moreover, the school is expected to undergo expansion works in August to increase its accommodation capacity.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Assistant Chief Education Officer (ag), Samantha Williams, explained that while there are other sister nursery schools in the surrounding areas including Diamond, the need for a second school was
The current batch of pupils at the Diamond Number 2 Nursery School performing at the commissioning ceremony
recognised.
“There are other sister schools in its environs… However, the distance to these schools pose a degree of inconvenience to parents as well as to the learners and this affected the attendance and punctuality rate of learners at these schools. Transportation woes and, of course, the overcrowding of the… [other] sister schools caused the regional administration to work towards acquiring another nursery school in this community,” Williams explained.
Williams, speaking on behalf of Education Minister Nicolette Henry, noted that such modern facilities contributes to an improved learning culture, where imaginations are set free and talents are developed through the foundation of reading, writing and arithmetic.
“This is the place where holistic learning leads to fun roles… Anything is possible here at the Diamond Number 2 Nursery School with your classmates and teachers. You can go on to be whatever you want to be and there is no pressure… you will be exposed to a world of possibilities,” the acting Assistant CEO stated.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson of Region Four, Genevieve Allen, in addressing the gathering, said that all children have potentials within them to achieve success at the highest level but they need the necessary tools and environment in order to do so.
Allen noted that while this new nursery school is fully equipped, children also need support and guidance. To this end, she called on parents to play an active role in their children’s education.
The regional chairperson went on to recognise that the community produced four students in the Top One per cent at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) exams from the New Diamond/Grove Primary school, saying that with hard work and dedication the pupils of the Diamond Number 2 Nursery School can also have their names published as top performers in a few years’ time.
