MoE commissions new $172M wing at East Ruimveldt Secondary School

Days after a new wing was commissioned at Queen’s College, the Education Ministry on Thursday commissioned another new wing, this time at the East Ruimveldt Secondary School, which was constructed at a cost of $172.6 million.
This new facility will accommodate grades seven and eight students, and, more importantly, address the longstanding concern of inadequate space.
The new facility has the capacity to accommodate 150 students, and boasts 10 classrooms, male and female washrooms, a furnished Information Technology (IT) laboratory, a staff room, and an office for the Deputy Headmistress (DHM).
Constructed by Delp Construction and General Supplies, the new building has been designed with insulated internal walls that absorb and break the path of unwanted sounds specifically for the classrooms, while the external walkway eases access between several lectures and main blocks of the teaching complex.
During the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, the headteacher of this educational institution, Katheryn Fraser, explained that the new wing became needed after the school had seen an increase in its student population during the COVID-19 pandemic — by some 157 students.
“Students were called online at that time, and we did not have the real-life situation of what the actual attendance and accommodation would be like. When we started to have face-to-face interactions, we realised that our main building could not accommodate our students,” Fraser said.
“With the intervention of the Ministry of Education, a tent was suggested. Our administration and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) agreed on the tent with the intention that our building will follow shortly. Our school population is growing. I know for certain that, with our new block, the accommodation problem is now resolved,” Fraser explained.
The new wing is named after a former principal, the late Samuel B. Moffatt, whom Fraser noted had transformed the school into one that produces students who can compete with top institutions at both the academic and athletic levels.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Priya Manickchand shared her hope to see students excel both academically and in other fields, thereby requiring a commitment from them to avoid being disruptive and disobedient within their classes.
“We don’t only want you to sit in a classroom. We want you to enjoy your secondary schooling, and we want you to emerge from these schools successful, with five or more subjects, including Math and English. And we need you to partner with us,” Manickchand said.
“Before the month ends, we’re going to be sending in the Allied Arts Unit to your school. In addition to the academic pursuits, every single one of you must be exposed to a musical instrument, a sport, a foreign language, a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) subject, and a strong sense of volunteerism,” Manickchand said to the students.
This new wing is not the only infrastructural change students at East Ruimveldt Secondary will see, however.
A new Science Lab is currently being constructed on the school’s premises, and there are plans to have a modernised Home Economics Department.
Manickchand also expressed that MoE is considering to build a pool within the school’s grounds that can accommodate students from neighbouring schools as well.
Beyond East Ruimveldt Secondary, Manickchand disclosed, plans are afoot to commission an extension block at St. Winefride’s Secondary School, while works are ongoing on the Christ Church Secondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, St. George’s High School and St. Mary’s High School.
“By next September, we are not going to have the space problem that we had when I came into office in 2020. We’re very sure of it. And we’re very glad to be able to provide seats for children to sit in classrooms,” Manickchand said.
The Minister also committed to continue providing students with textbooks and exercise books, and to ensure all teachers across Guyana are trained by 2025.