Govt turning access into action in education sector – Pres Ali

…as new almost $700M Brickdam Secondary School commissioned

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday affirmed his government’s ongoing commitment to transforming “access into action” in education, where “distance no longer means disadvantage”, as he officially commissioned the newly built Brickdam Secondary School in central Georgetown.

The state-of-the-art, near $700 million facility is the latest milestone in the government’s drive to achieve universal secondary education by 2026, a goal that President Ali described as “a bold stride that spans coastland and hinterland alike.”
“The future of education in Guyana is not only bright, it is brilliant. We are not just building schools. We are creating opportunities, entrenching equity, and fostering greater quality,” President Ali said during the feature address at the commissioning ceremony.
In the coming term, the new three-storey school will serve some 485 students and employ 51 teachers. The facility is a complete rebuild of the former St. Mary’s High School however earlier this year it was announced that the facility would be renamed as the Brickdam Secondary School, reviving the identity of the old Brickdam Secondary School that had been relocated to East La Penitence Primary due to unsafe conditions at the previous building.
The modern facility includes 22 classrooms, three staff rooms, science and computer labs, home economics rooms, a counseling room, industrial technology lab, auditorium, sick bay, canteen, and a dedicated play area. The design incorporates essential fire safety features, including fire alarms, extinguishers, and escape exits, while also using fire-retardant materials to ensure safety.
Construction began in 2023 and was completed in six lots by contractors K&S General Construction Inc., A. Ograsein & Sons General Contracting, Cummings Electrical Company Ltd, and R&D Engineering Service Inc.
The school is one of several new or rehabilitated educational institutions under the current administration’s sweeping education agenda. Other projects include the rebuilding or expansion of Christ Church Secondary, St. George School of Science, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Houston Secondary (Region 4), Nismes Secondary (Region 3), Christinaburg-Wismar Secondary (Region 10), and Karasabai Secondary in the hinterland.
Major upgrades have also been completed at Queen’s College, Bishop’s High, St Rose’s High, St Joseph’s, and East Ruimveldt Secondary, alongside the extension of Hope Secondary and rehabilitation of Annandale Secondary on the East Coast of Demerara.
“This type of expansion has never before been attempted or achieved in Guyana’s history,” President Ali noted.
President Ali emphasized that the transformation of education is more than just new buildings.

“Since 2020, we’ve injected almost $600 billion into our education sector. This is an investment in the brains, hearts, and hands of our children,” he said. “We are not waiting for opportunities; we are preparing our people to create them.”
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bridging the education divide between the coast and hinterland, noting that most of the new schools are being constructed in Regions One (Barima-Waibi); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo).
“We are building infrastructure to give equal opportunity,” he said. “No longer will students have to travel miles or be confined by geography to access quality education.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand expressed heartfelt pride in the occasion.
“For me, it’s not just a building, it’s the rooms where we will create Guyana’s next leaders,” she said. “This is not just a promise. This is a deliverance, a tangible deliverance of our love for you and your children.”
Headmistress of the school Yvette Hawker, also made remarks at the event calling the commissioning a “Landmark occasion” illustrating that “education remains a national priority.”
“Today marks a milestone for public education in Guyana. This new facility… is more than just a structure of concrete and steel it is a symbol of progress,” Hawker remarked.