Sod turned for $440M Company Road Primary School at Buxton

…as new $300M Massara Secondary School to boost hinterland education access

Staff of the current Company Road Primary School and officials of the Ministry of Education, led by Deputy Chief Education Officer (Administration) Tiffany Harvey, and Regional Education Officer (REdO) for Demerara-Mahaica Keane Adams turned the sod for the $440 million reconstruction of the school at Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Saturday. This comes following a request made by the parents and school’s teachers and administration as a result of overcrowding and internal structural issues that aren’t conducive to learning.
Some 300 pupils from the Buxton Company Road catchment area are expected to benefit. The contract for the reconstruction of the school was awarded to R&J construction through a competitive bidding process in accordance with the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) Public Procurement Act. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, expressed her happiness over this development while noting that every school that needs to be rehabilitated or rebuilt will be so done over the next five years

Hinterland education access
Earlier, on Thursday, the new $300 million Massara Secondary School in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo)was officially commissioned, marking the 14th new secondary school to be built under the Government’s ongoing push to expand access to quality education across Guyana’s hinterland communities. The school will provide a modern, fully equipped learning environment for 250 students, helping to meet the growing demand for educational facilities in the hinterland.
The school’s infrastructure is designed with the future of education in mind, featuring 16 well-designed rooms, including 10 classrooms and five specialised laboratories, which will support a diverse range of subjects. The labs include facilities for Information Technology (IT), Science, Home Management and Food & Nutrition, Visual Arts, and Industrial Technology, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities that align with the demands of the 21st century workforce.
The school also holds a library, which will serve as a hub for student research, reading, and extracurricular learning. The investment in education aligns with the Government’s overarching policy to achieve universal access to secondary education across the nation, ensuring that every student is able to complete their secondary school education in a safe, supportive environment.
In particular, the expansion of schools in Region Nine is a critical part of the Government’s strategy to bridge the education gap between urban and rural areas, which has historically left hinterland communities at a disadvantage.

Minister Manickchand, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, emphasised that the Massara Secondary School is a symbol of the Government’s continued investment in the future of the nation’s youth, noting that the school stands as proof of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that every child regardless of their geography has access to a sound and quality education. Furthermore, she highlighted that the commissioning of Massara Secondary School is part of a broader national strategy to tackle issues such as educational equity, teacher quality, and student success. The Ministry of Education is committed to ensuring that students in every region of Guyana have access to the tools, resources and trained educators needed to excel. With the opening of Massara Secondary School, Region Nine is poised to become a stronger hub of academic excellence, empowering youth to achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities and the nation.
The Education Ministry remains steadfast in its mission to provide all Guyanese children with access to quality education, recognising it as the key to long-term socio- economic growth and national prosperity.