THREE ministers, on Wednesday, turned the sod, signifying the start of construction on the new Abrams Zuil Secondary School in Region Two. Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, who was accompanied by Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, and Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, said that, over the last five years, the school had reached a state where it required heavy maintenance work but nothing was done causing more than 500 children to suffer.
The new school is a multi-year project and is scheduled to be completed next year at a cost of $585M.

The Education Minister, in a release, said that she was looking forward to the new building and explained that for the current students the ministry was exploring several options to have them accommodated at other locations.
Minister Manickchand also said that soon it will be something of the past that no school in the region is offering the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). She said there were a few regions that do not offer CAPE and that the ministry was working to sensibly and effectively offer the programme in those regions.

However, Minister Manickchand noted that such must be introduced sensibly by ensuring the regions have all the facilities and teachers necessary to offer CAPE to students. Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, said the new modern building was a significant investment in the Region Two economy.
The school will cater for 800 students. The contract for the construction of the school was signed a few weeks ago and Minister Dharamlall said his ministry intends to hold the contracting firm to the contractual timelines. The contract was awarded to Builders Hardware and General Supplies.