By Gabriella Chapman  
THE Ministry of Education on Tuesday awarded a contract in excess of $826M to BK International Inc to construct the very first secondary school in Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

At the small contract-signing ceremony, Education Minister Dr Nicolette Henry said as the country has now entered the Decade of Development, the signing, though a simple ceremony, represents another step in the right direction.

“As a government we have made a commitment to prioritise education because we know that it is through the development of our people, that the country ultimately will be developed. And so in order to create a first-class education, we have to provide opportunities and we have to have the facilities and the institutions,” the minister said.
Noting further that she and President David Granger have over the past months been referring to ‘repositioning’ in the education system, Dr Henry said the construction of the secondary school at Yarrowkabra is in keeping with this vision.

“So currently we are constructing two schools with funding from the World Bank. This is the third secondary school that we will be constructing at this particular time. The intention is to have excellent secondary schools in every region, at key positions, so that students, who would have exited primary level can have a school that can produce the best and brightest persons to function in the 21st century. And so this modern facility is expected and intended to be a cutting edge,” Dr Henry said.

She added: “We look forward to nothing less than excellent work. Our students, teachers deserve conducive environments for learning. They also require modern facilities. And I trust that by the end of the project, we all will be very comfortable with both the outcome and output,” the education minister posited.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Alfred King in brief remarks said the President’s Decade of Development places much attention on education.

“We continue our pursuit to ensure that we make space accessible and schools accessible and quality education accessible to our young people all across this country. So it is against that background that we will continue to provide quality educational spaces as well as experiences for our young people.”

King said the school is expected to be completed in 12 months and will have the capacity to accommodate 600 students. This school will be accessible to children from Yarrowkabra and other neighbouring communities on the Linden Highway.

In addition, he disclosed that the amenities of the school will be those of a modern outfit that features Information Technology and Science laboratories, Allied Arts Departments, a library, auditorium, and of course, classrooms.

Owner of BK International Inc, Brian Tiwari, said he is more than happy to assist the Ministry of Education in executing its mandate.

He thanked the minister for choosing his company and assured her that the school will be completed in the stipulated deadline and within the budget.

BK International is working on other school projects and Tiwari noted that his company has brought in an engineer from Jamaica to work on this project. This will enable a smooth, uninterrupted execution of the works to be done.