A CONTRACT valuing $346.2 million was, on Friday, signed for the reconstruction of the North West Secondary School, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini).
According to a press release, the contract was awarded to Aruca Investments and is scheduled to be completed in 14 months. The project consultant is Innovative Engineering Services.

During brief remarks at the signing ceremony in the Ministry of Education’s boardroom, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand said that the quality of work executed on the project will greatly impact the lives of students.

She called on the contractor to deliver quality service and complete the project within the agreed time.
The minister related that since the school was destroyed by fire, the students and teachers have been tremendously inconvenienced.

Minister Manickchand told the contractors and consultant that the completion of the school is not like any other project they have worked on, as the quality delivered and time taken to complete it can change many lives by ensuring children receive a proper education.

Education delivery in Region One will see further development with new schools scheduled to be built at Waramuri, Hosororo, and Kwebana over the next few years.
Giving a brief overview of the project, Special Projects Officer, Ron Eastman, said after extensive consultations, a design was approved for the new building. The reconstructed North West Secondary School will be a two-story building with 23 classrooms, three science labs, a sanitary block, and an accessible lift.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Alfred King said that the rebuilding of the North West Secondary School is a critical component in the ministry’s efforts to attain universal secondary education.

King said that the Ministry of Education is working on achieving universal secondary education. He related that this project is important to achieving that goal.
On September 25, 2021, the North West Secondary School was destroyed by fire. The Ministry of Education has provided support and made alternative arrangements to facilitate the students enrolled at the secondary school until it is rebuilt.