Over 400 students to benefit as $434.5M Waramuri Secondary School commissioned in Reg 1

More than 400 students from Waramuri, Haimaracabra, Para, and other nearby villages in Region One (Barima-Waini) are set to benefit from enhanced education delivery at the newly constructed Waramuri Secondary School.
Outfitted with laboratories for science, information technology and home economics, the new $434.5 million Waramuri Secondary School was commissioned on Wednesday by President Irfaan Ali, who said that this institution, along with the community’s primary school, which is earmarked for upgrades, is demonstrative of his Government’s commitment to parity in education investments across Guyana.

“We made a very conscious decision that every single secondary school must have parity in the type of services and the type of value it creates for our child so there is no gap [between the hinterland and the coastland]. Very soon, the Minister of Education will be turning the sod for a number of labs in secondary schools in Region Nine because we believe that secondary education is not only another tier of education but also that secondary education is about preparing you for the journey of life. It is about that important step that gives you the opportunity to realise your true and full potential,” the Head of State stated.
According to Ali, as a result of the investments by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, young people in the hinterland today can study and get training in any profession without having to leave their homes and communities. This, he noted, is because his Administration recognises the importance of investing in education and in a system that caters not just for young children and young people, but for every category of citizens.
“We’re investing in technical education, we’re investing in remedial education, and we’re investing in education to improve your efficiency in your business; that is, we’re investing in women entrepreneurs. We’re investing in financial education. We’re investing so that we can have a more efficient population so that we can enjoy the full fruits of your labour.”
“This building is not only a secondary school; it’s the staging ground for the rest of your life. It is the foundation for the rest of your life. It is that door that opens significant opportunities ahead of you, and who created that door – the People’s Progressive Party Civic,” he posited.
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Among those who benefit from training in hinterland communities without having to leave are teachers. According to the Head of State, not only do teachers get online training but also higher pay when they enhance their academic qualifications.
In fact, Education Minister Priya Manickchand disclosed during her remarks at Wednesday’s commissioning ceremony that over the last three and a half years, more than 9000 teachers across Guyana, including from hinterland communities, were trained.
“That training has allowed us to move hinterland teachers from 43 per cent trained teachers to 86 per cent trained teachers, and we intend for that to be 100 per cent trained teachers before the end of 2027,” the Minister declared.
On the coastland, the figure for trained teachers was previously stagnant in the early 60s but, as of this year, stands at 98 per cent, including those who have already been trained and are currently in training.
Minister Manickchand also reiterated the opportunities that young teachers in Region One have to stay in their villages and do a two-year online training programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and afterwards can even benefit from a four-year University of Guyana (UG) degree programme – all free of cost and with increased emoluments.
According to the Education Minister, these investments in teachers will see hinterland children benefitting from a higher quality of education delivery on par with the coastland.
“We wanted to increase access across all levels; in other words, to make sure that every single child goes to a nursery school, a primary school, and a secondary school and then goes on to the University of Guyana for free,” she stated.
In fact, over the last three and a half years, the PPP/C Government has built seven nursery schools and 16 primary schools and has either built, or is in the process of building, six secondary schools across the Barima-Waini region.
With construction to start on another secondary school in the community of Manawarin, the Education Minister noted, “All over in Region One, children will be able to go to a secondary school and get a solid secondary education.”
“When we came into office in 2020, there were 2500 children in Region One…who could not be placed in a secondary school, who had to go to a primary top or had to stay home or go in the back dam… Before the end of 2026, every single child will be able to go to a discrete secondary school close to their homes,” Manickchand stated.