The Ministry of Education (MOE) has opened bids for the construction and furnishing of St. George’s High School and St. Mary’s Secondary School. The move comes after St. George’s High was destroyed by fire last August, while the St Mary’s Secondary was merged with another school in 2019.
It has been revealed that St. George’s High School will be rebuilt at the same location, along Company Path on the northeastern side of the historic St. George’s Cathedral, between North Road and Church Street. Following the electrical fire that ravaged the school last year, 421 students were displaced and placed in List ‘C’ schools within the proximity of their homes.
These included South Ruimveldt Secondary, West Ruimveldt Secondary, Freeburg Secondary, Plaisance Secondary, Dolphin Secondary, L’Aventure Secondary, Friendship Secondary, Ann’s Grove Secondary, Covent Garden Secondary, Cummings Lodge Secondary, and Kingston Secondary.
It is unclear whether these students will be sent back to their original school (St. George’s) upon its completion, but sources at the Ministry have noted that an update will be provided once a decision has been made.
As for St. Mary’s Secondary School, it was merged with Central High School in 2019 and rebranded as “The New Central High School” due to concerns about the building’s safety and inadequate facilities for students and teachers. The former coalition administration had faced backlash for attempting to phase out Central High School, which held a Grade A status, instead of providing the students with a new and improved building. It even made a case that there was an unavailability of land in Georgetown to erect a new building for the students. However, following protests from parents, the Ministry decided to merge the two schools while retaining Central High’s Grade A status.
With respect to the rebuilding of St. Mary’s School, there are concerns about where the school will be built, and whether the students who were previously attending the school will be sent back to their school of origin.
The MOE has announced that the bidding process will be conducted through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, inviting all qualified suppliers to attend a pre-bid meeting and site visit on April 25, 2023, at 10:00 am in the ministry’s boardroom located at 26 Brickdam, Stabroek.
