Education Minister sets January 2026 as deadline to complete dormitories at NWSS

– instructs contractor to increase manpower, extend working hours to meet deadline

Education Minister Sonia Parag has set January 31, 2026, as the deadline for the completion of male and female dormitories at the North West Secondary School, Region One (Barima-Waini). She passed this instruction to the contractor, Mason’s Innovative Construction and General Supply, during a visit to the construction site on Sunday. Once completed, the facilities will increase the school’s boarding capacity to approximately 120 students, especially catering to those who reside in very remote communities of the region. As it stands, the shared dining hall and the male dormitory are scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2025.
But with the school seeing a continuous increase in enrolment, Parag stated, “We want to ensure that the extension for the dormitory is already open and running by the end of January so that we can accommodate these students. We are working with the contractor to make that happen.”

She added, “We’ve had a look; we’ve spoken to the contractor to ensure that measures are taken and taken immediately. That is, to ensure they increase the manpower. That is to ensure that they extend the hours, and while they do that, also try not to affect the students who are currently in the dormitory.” She also urged the contractor to ensure their work is not disruptive to students currently housed in the facility and recommended that more of the heavy work be done during the day and the finishing touches, such as plastering and painting, for later in the evening.
According to the Ministry, the contractor responded positively, noting that all the materials needed to complete the project are on-site, and there should be no further delays. Parag reiterated the Government’s commitment to providing across-the-board access to quality education. The North West Secondary School dorm expansion forms part of the Government’s wider plan to ensure all of our children have access to a quality education and also paves the way for the country to achieve universal secondary education.