–facility to accommodate over 1,000 students; to feature science, ICT, agriculture, performing arts blocks

SET to be outfitted with modern laboratories and sports facilities, the new Christiansburg/Wismar Secondary School in Linden, Region 10 will boast the design of a full-service educational environment to prepare young learners for success.

The ceremonial sod turning ceremony for the $2.66 billion secondary school was held at the project site on Monday.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, in his remarks at the event, said: “The larger story behind this initiative is that it is a continuation of the PPP/C’s administration’s broader commitment to Guyana’s education system.”

The facility is being built under the “Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project”, a World Bank-supported initiative aiming to improve access to, and quality of secondary and technical/vocational education across the country.

“This $2.6 billion investment will deliver the most modern secondary school in Guyana, right here in Linden,” Prime Minister Phillips said.
Construction of the school will begin immediately on some 244,000 square feet of land, and will comprise nine purpose-build blocks totaling approximately 67,000 square feet.
It is expected to be completed within 17 months, and will be constructed by PowerChina Jiangxi electric power construction company limited.

The new school will feature an administrative building housing the principal’s office, staff room, conference room and a ‘tech’ bay.
According to the Prime Minister, the facility will also feature a multi-purpose hall to support assemblies, events and performances, as well as certified fully-outfitted classrooms.
There will also be a dedicated science block, which will feature three laboratories to support hands-on practical learning.

The school will also include a technology and vocational training block equipped for instruction in metal work and woodwork, along with a Home Economics facility designed for food and nutrition, clothing and textile and home management.

Further, to ensure that learners have a holistic experience, the facility will feature a performing arts block, which will house a music room and dance studio, while an agricultural block will provide students with opportunities to engage in modern farming techniques and agriculture science.
Additionally, there will be a fully-equipped information technology laboratory, a language ‘lab’, and a library to support literacy and research.

BUILDING SYSTEMS
The Prime Minister said: “Guyana is a country that builds systems to support education and build futures for our children. We have modernised our infrastructure across all 10 administrative regions, and by the end of this year, 22 new secondary schools will be operational throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.”

The facility, he said, will be seen as a ‘launch pad’, replacing the existing secondary school, which saw mass overcrowding of classrooms and aged equipment.

The Prime Minister said: “Linden is a place where students write code, and careers in healthcare, teaching, aviation, agriculture and more. We are, therefore, building a launch pad to enable students to do so right here in their hometown, Linden.”

“We are investing in you without any condition. This is pure development,” he added.
The new school will accommodate over 1,000 students, and aligns with the government’s push to achieve universal secondary education.
“It’s not only about access for us, for us. We want to make sure, once you get into those schools, that you have a higher quality,” Education Minister Priya Manickchand said in brief remarks.

Manickchand further highlighted the government’s education strategy, which includes better access, higher quality education, lifelong learning opportunities, technical vocational education, and an efficient system.
She said: “We were clear when we were coming into government; even before we came in, and we were seeking your views about what it is you might want to see when we got into government, if you were to trust us with your vote.”

The government, she stressed, is committed to supporting schools in Region 10, and ensuring that students have access to quality education.
Simultaneously, support is being given to educators. To this end, the government has trained 384 teachers in Region 10 in the last four years, raising the training percentage to 100 per cent.
Meanwhile, the minister noted, too, that the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) has qualified 2,402 people from Region 10 for foreign universities.

“We have been able, with that expansion, to move or train teachers from that 68 to 72% that we’ve been stuck at for about 15 years, including under our government before, to now having 100 per cent our teachers trained or in training, a first ever party for Our country, Guyana, and of course, in the Caribbean. Now, that’s a big deal!” she said.

Ultimately, all these investments are aimed at setting a clear path for the nation’s children to excel in Guyana’s buzzing economy and compete on the global front.
“We will put our children on a platform where they could compete better, go on to tertiary education better, and do more with their lives and for their families and communities,” Manickchand said.