New $233M wing at Sophia Primary School commissioned

…to reduce overcrowding

The new wing of the Sophia Primary School, which was constructed at the tune of $233 million, was officially commissioned on Wednesday and will play a key role in addressing overcrowding at the school.

The new facility comprises nine new classrooms, a headteacher’s office, two washroom blocks, and an auditorium.
The new wing was commissioned by Education Minister Sonia Parag, who related that the new block will bring comfort and convenience to both teachers and pupils. “You’ve gotten a whole new facility to ensure that you’re not packed up like sardines in a class… now you can be in a learning environment with space.”
The Minister emphasised the importance of individuals playing their part in maintaining this infrastructure and keeping environments clean.
“You are the ones who have to leave the legacy for the next generation that will be going through these hallways and these classrooms. Therefore, you have to treat your facility with care and consideration. That means that you don’t deface the walls. It means that you don’t disregard the property that will ensure that you get an education, and you leave that legacy for someone else to be able to thrive in. It’s very important that we care for what we have and our environment.”
She, nevertheless, charged the pupils and teachers to keep the school’s environment – inside and out – clean. “It is upon us to take pride in our environment. It is upon us, when we leave this country, that we can say with conviction and with pride that our country is a clean country. But it starts with us. It starts with each one of us. And it starts with all of you. If you see someone later, tell them it’s wrong. Tell them to pick it up.”
The Minister also touched on the issue of violence and bullying in schools, urging everyone to play their role in eradicating these issues. “We have to keep our spaces safe. And it starts with us. It starts with the leadership. It starts with the students. And you will leave your mark in that way.”
On this note, the Minister had recently revealed that schools could soon see a more structured national approach to tackling bullying.
Schools will see the distribution of a standard document aimed at being the first step in developing anti-bullying policies, and ideally laws, in the future. “When I thought of launching the anti-bullying initiative or having that consultation with the public, it was to get from the public and different stakeholders their recommendations on solutions,” Parag had stated.
Meanwhile, Minister Parag back in January reported that more than 33 new schools are slated to be commissioned in 2026 as the Government continues to focus on delivering universal education to every child in Guyana.
She added that significant resources have been directed towards closing longstanding gaps in access to education, particularly in hinterland and rural communities, where students often had to travel long distances or remained at home due to the lack of nearby schools.
Overcrowding has also been reduced as new facilities come on stream.