Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, today visited the Westminster and Good Hope secondary schools, which are being constructed under the Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project (GSEIP) to better cater to the education needs of the new housing schemes and their neighbouring communities.
The Westminster Secondary School, located in the Parfaite Harmony Housing Scheme in Region 3, is being constructed by R. Bassoo and Sons Construction Company to the tune of $1B while the Good Hope Secondary School, on the East Coast of Demerara, is being constructed at a cost of $857M. The schools will accommodate 1,000 and 800 students, respectively, and are scheduled to be completed by January 2020.
In a press release from the Education Ministry, Minister Henry is quoted as saying that the GSEIP project is being funded by the World Bank. She further said that the institutions are intended to improve the quality of education in the schools’ communities and the wider population. Dr Henry said too that the site visit was necessary to allow her a clear understanding of the current status of the projects.
Meanwhile, Minister Henry said that the quality of work is at the required standard. However, she said, she had hoped the projects would have been further along when it came to their implementation and meeting the expected completion timeline. The minister’s concerns were shared with technical officers and site engineers and she was assured that said concerns would be addressed and evident in time for her next visit in three weeks, the Ministry said.
Furthermore, the Education Minister said that plans are currently apace to have the necessary teaching, administrative and other staff to occupy the schools.
In addition, due to the construction of the two institutions, youths in the communities have benefited from employment opportunities.
The Education Ministry also revealed that both schools will be equipped with a Technical Vocational Education and Training Department, a science block, an Information Communication Technology Department, an Allied Arts section, and all the amenities that are associated with a modern school.
“It should be noted that these departments will allow for testing of international specifications to ensure that standards are met,” the Education Ministry added.
