THE vibrant community of Queenstown in Georgetown, witnessed a significant milestone in early childhood education with the commissioning of the new St Gabriel’s Nursery School on Friday.
The state-of-the-art facility, constructed at a cost of $60M, will provide a nurturing and modern learning environment for young learners, setting the foundation for their educational journey.

The new facility is equipped with spacious classrooms, colourful furniture, interactive learning materials, and child-friendly amenities designed to create an engaging and stimulating environment. It has the capacity to accommodate over 161 children and 13 staff members across 10 classrooms, which are divided equally into five first-year and five second-year classrooms.

The commissioning ceremony was a festive affair, attended by government officials, teachers, parents, children, and the community at large.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, delivered the feature address, emphasising the importance of investing in early childhood education. She highlighted the pivotal role that nursery schools play in shaping young minds and setting the groundwork for life-long learning.
She pointed out that, even though nursery education is not compulsory in Guyana, the nation has the highest enrolment rate of children in the Commonwealth Caribbean for this age group.

“That is Guyana’s interest in education, and because nursery education is not compulsory, it has never received the same kind of infrastructure, the same kind of attention that primary and secondary has. But from 2020 to now, we have built 42 nursery schools across this country. I so often speak of the secondary schools we’re building, that I don’t think people realise it’s across the sector that we’re developing our physical infrastructure for children.”

In order for the pupils to read at their grade level, she advised parents and teachers to keep working with them, calling on the former to become more involved in their children’s lives.

According to the minister of education, this will significantly contribute to laying the groundwork for children to succeed as they progress through the education system.

“We see it all the time. If you [the teachers] put out children who cannot read at their grade level, then the entire system feels that. They [will] go into Grade One and struggle, Grade Two and struggle. [They] will reach Grade Six after eight teachers and can’t write a single word on the NGSA [National Grade Six Assessment] paper. So, this is the level where we’re investing significantly to ensure they’re getting the foundation they need,” Minister Manickchand explained.

Furthermore, the minister highlighted that the ministry’s efforts extend beyond just the construction of new schools and the creation and printing of new books tailored to children’s needs.
She said the ministry is also committed to supporting parents and teachers through initiatives such as the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, classroom grants, and the school feeding programme.

The ‘Because We Care’ cash grant provides financial assistance to parents, helping them cover education-related expenses, while classroom supply grants directly support schools in purchasing essential learning resources. Additionally, the school feeding programme ensures that children receive nutritious meals, enhancing their ability to focus and learn effectively.

Devendra Persaud, the Assistant Chief Education Officer in charge of nursery schools, emphasised the vital significance that education infrastructure plays.
“There is strong evidence that high-quality infrastructure facilitates better instruction, improves student outcomes, and reduces dropout rates, among other benefits,” he explained.

He said that St Gabriel’s Nursery School is a prime example of the government’s commitment to ensuring that education is available to all. “I have never seen the establishment of so many new school buildings or the refurbishing of existing schools in the history of education in Guyana. This is a testimony

that this government is committed to ensuring that every child, whether you live in rural or urban communities, gets equal access to education.”
At a total cost of $60,100,000, the construction of the St. Gabriel’s Nursery began in March 2022. Trevor David Construction Services was awarded the project, which was finished in seven months, plus a further seven months for defects liability.