Plans are currently in the pipeline to upgrade schools across the country to 21st Century standards according to the Education Ministry’s Project Coordinator for Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), Jimmy Bhojdat, on Monday as the Ministry signed two contracts to facilitate the construction of two secondary schools.
An artist’s impression of the Westminster Secondary School
The new schools will be constructed in Good Hope, East Coast Demerara and Westminster, Parfaite Harmonie, West Coast Demerara. These projects will be undertaken by BK International and R Bassoo and Sons Contracting Services to the tune of some US$4,082,506.80 and US$4,795,595.67 respectively.
The schools are expected to be completed within 15 months according to the Project Coordinator.
The new Westminster Secondary School will be constructed to accommodate 1000 students, and the Good Hope Secondary School will cater for 800 students. These two projects fall under the SEIP and are being funded by the World Bank.
It was related by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Adele Clarke that new schools would feature a multi-purpose hall; an administrative building; home economics room; science laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology; library; computer laboratory and an audio-visual room. Provisions will also be made for arts subjects such as music and dance; the building will also include an industrial technology room where wood-working, metalwork and technical drawing will be facilitated.
Roy Bassoo of R Bassoo and Sons Contracting Services signing the contract documents along with Permanent Secretary within the Education Ministry, Adele Clarke. Also looking on is Education Minister Nicolette Henry
Meanwhile, Education Minister Nicolette Henry addressing the contractors, urged them both to ensure that the schools were built within the standards and expectations of the Education Ministry so that the new facilities could serve the nation’s children.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the signing, Bhojdat explained that the Ministry was currently in the process of upgrading all secondary schools.
“We don’t want to be building the same old models that exist and so we are upgrading the different departments which are going to be of a higher standard to allow students to attain the various certifications,” Bhojdat disclosed.
He said it was expected the new structures should be of the standard of Caribbean schools. Asked whether the Ministry was bothered about the inferiority students who do not attend these new schools being built might feel, the Coordinator explained, “This is just one of the many projects that the Ministry is doing. There are other projects that are tackling upgrading.”
One of those projects, according to him, which is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will facilitate upgrade works to schools. He was unable to say when the upgrade works would be completed to those schools and would only say that the project was ongoing.
