$275M Phillipai Sec. School to accommodate 240 students, replace Primary Top

In keeping with its goal of providing universally accessible secondary school education across Guyana, the Education Ministry on Tuesday broke the ground for the construction of the Phillipai Secondary School in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)

The state-of-the-art facility will be constructed to the tune of $275 million and is scheduled to be completed within eight months.
When complete, the new school will accommodate approximately 240 students from Phillipai and surrounding areas, including Amokokopai, Klaimalu, Wayalayeng, Chimanapai, Emoikeng, Chinoweing, and Wax Creek.
The Phillipai Secondary School is set to be a modern educational facility featuring three key blocks housing Home Economics and Visual Arts (VA) classrooms, designed to provide students with practical and creative learning experiences, a well-equipped library, offering a vital resource for research and study, eight classrooms with essential sanitary facilities to ensure a comfortable and hygienic environment for students, as well as an administrative space and sick bay.
During her address at the sod-turning ceremony, Education Minister Priya Manickchand revealed that the students currently situated at dorms in DC Ceasar Fox and Waramadong would be able to complete their secondary education at home with the support of family and friends.
She added that the investment will also result in the closure of Primary Tops in the area.
A Primary Top is a department within a primary school that caters for children of secondary school age who have no formal secondary school to attend. These students would continue to attend primary school but receive a secondary education.
“Guyana attained universal primary education that’s what the United Nations said. What that means is that we have enough primary schools all over the country. But what happens when they reach secondary? You either had to leave and go to a dorm somewhere, in this village it would be Waramadong or DC Ceasar Fox or you go to a Primary Top up to Grade Nine and then you drop out… So, we said the mission of President Ali is going to be is going to be to build secondary schools all over this country to make sure we have universal secondary education,” the Minister explained.
Minister Manickchand said an initial mobilization amount of $82 million has been allocated to kickstart the project and reinforced the government’s commitment to extend beyond mere words.
“It is a big project because this is how we express our love, this is how we show you that we care, this is how we make sure that your children will be better than you all and better than I am. This is how we make sure your children have a life of plenty and not a life of struggle… When we say we love you, it comes with action. It is very easy for me to come here and tell you the world. When we come back in, we will pluck the stars from the sky and put them in your hearts… the test is really when you have the chance to do better. Did you do better? Do you do better? That is the test,” the Minister added.
On assuming office in August 2020, the education minister stressed the Government’s zero tolerance for delayed works and warned contractors to ensure that work was done within the contractual time. She said that the Ministry had worked closely with the contractor and the consulting firm to ensure the school was completed.
The Phillipai Secondary School is just one of several new hinterland secondary schools the Ministry of Education plans to construct this year since the Government set 2025 as the target to achieve Universal Secondary Education (USE).
To support this effort, the Education Ministry was allocated $74.4 billion through the National Budget, a portion of which will be used for the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities nationwide.