Education Minister Priya Manickchand examining construction works at the Westminster Secondary School, La Parfaite Harmonie, in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara)
The Westminster Secondary School, which was under construction to the tune of $1 billion at La Parfaite Harmonie in Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara), is 84 per cent completed and construction is set to end on November 30.
The construction of the school is funded by the World Bank through the Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project (GSEIP), which began in the first quarter of 2015. It was aimed at achieving the then PPP Government’s promise of universal secondary education.
The GSEIP project aims to improve the quality of secondary education across the country. During a visit to the site on Saturday, Manickchand was updated on the progress of the project.
Also accompanying the Minister was Project Coordinator of the GSEIP, Jimmy Bhojedat and the Regional Education Officer, Annesta Douglas.
The contract for the construction of the school was inked on October 1, 2018, and construction began later that month with R Bassoo and Sons Construction Inc as the constructing company and Deen and Partners/SRKN Engineering as the consultancy firm.
Westminster Secondary School, La Parfaite Harmonie, under construction
The school was scheduled to be completed at the end of January of this year but a number of factors contributed to the project not meeting the initial timeline. During the site visit, the Education Minister was assured by the construction company that the new timeline will be met.
Minister Manickchand noted that she will be paying close attention to the project since a whole generation of students started and finished high school since the building of the school was first identified as a necessity. She is looking forward to the completion of the school for the benefit of the children it will serve.
When completed, the structure will be a model school that meets international standards. The school will house 1000 students and will cater to the growing population in Region Three, with the emergence of a number of new housing schemes.
Added to that, when completed, the new institution will see the reduction of secondary departments in primary schools in the region. Students will be drawn from La Grange, L’Aventure, Good Fortuin and other areas within that catchment area.
Part of its outfit caters for students with disabilities. There will be modern Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) departments for Home Economics, Home Management and Clothing and Textile. Added to the aforementioned departments, there will be Information Technology, Mathematics, Language and Audio Visual laboratories. The school will also house Biology, Chemistry and Physics labs.
A Unit of Allied Arts, a modern library, a multi-purpose hall and a modern administration block will complete this spanking new structure.
