THE Education Ministry has announced that a new state–of–the-art dormitory, at Charity, in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), to accommodate 200 or more students from within the area, is expected to be completed in another two months. In a release, the ministry said it is another effort by Government to ensure equity in education is prevalent throughout Guyana.
The ministry also disclosed that several other dorms have been set aside for rehabilitation, including in Region One (Barima/Waini), where construction and extension of similar facilities are being carried out at Port Kaituma, Santa Rosa, Hosororo, Wauna and Kwebana, in North West District, to house an average of 289 students.
The release said the Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) Administration has also proposed to construct a dormitory at Parika/Salem, East Bank Essequibo, to cater for an average intake of 69 per year from 15 communities.
Similarly, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) made proposals to accommodate about 220 students at New Amsterdam and Skeldon secondary schools.
In Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), the release said Waramadong and Bartica secondary schools are earmarked to be extended to cater for an additional 200 students while in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), additional space, in the form of a school with dormitory facilities, is required in Sub-Region One to accommodate some 50 students annually over the next five years.
The ministry said Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) caters for more than 1,100 students in three secondary schools, at Annai, Aishalton and St Ignatius, located in three of the five sub-districts.
The release said, during the last academic year, budgetary allocation was made to facilitate the extension of the dorm at Annai and that will cater for some 60 students from the South Pakaraimas and outlying areas in North Rupununi.
Currently, 2,500 students are occupying State run dormitories throughout the country, the ministry disclosed, adding that it is expecting the number of students residing in Government-funded accommodation to increase significantly in the next three years, as it pushes ahead with plans to expand access to secondary education.
It noted that, Government has, over the years, been placing heavier emphasis on improving the education sector with the rehabilitation and construction of several education facilities, the training of hundreds of teachers yearly, and the improvements of the schools’ curriculum, among other initiatives.