THE Kato Secondary School, located in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), will be opened for the new academic year in September, Education Minister Nicolette Henry said on Thursday during a visit to the school with Social Cohesion Minister, Dr. George Norton.
Senior officers within the Education Ministry, representatives from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Guyana Audit Office, Kares Engineering – the firm contracted to build the school, Vikab Guyana Limited – the consultancy firm that overlooked the completion of the remedial works, the Regional Education Office and the Regional Democratic Council, were among those who also accompanied the ministers.
The high-level team toured the entire school complex to determine the state of readiness and at the same time to highlight what additional works need to be undertaken to ensure that the school is ready for the September 2018 opening. Particular emphasis was placed on the school’s dormitory which in the past was flagged for having a number of structural defects. However, with the remedial works being completed, those pressing issues have been solved.

Minister Norton said it is important that the school is completed now. He assured the Toshao of Kato, Clifton Perreira, that the APNU+AFC administration is doing everything that is possible to achieve the September 2018 opening.
Minister Norton also expressed happiness at the visit of his colleague, Minister Henry, and her officers from the Ministry of Education to understand the situation.
Minister Henry explained that it is the government’s belief that every Guyanese deserves a good life, in the context of what is the best that can be provided based on the available resources.

She said that all stakeholders must ensure that the Kato Secondary School is second to none so that the students of the community and those nearby can be educated under similar conditions that prevail in Georgetown and along the coast. “We have to reduce disparities, everyone must have access to the same quality of education. That is paramount.”

Minister Henry further stated that the visit allowed her the opportunity to recognise some of the areas that may not have been given attention, which from a policy directive, ought to have been considered. However, she said that such matters will be addressed following some introspection within the Ministry of Education. “We have to ensure that information technology is paramount in terms of smart classrooms, e-books and IT Labs, and the configuration of the science labs and the home economics building,” Minister Henry said.
Minister Henry told Toshao Perreira to relay to his community on behalf of the Government of Guyana, that “we will be opening this school in September because we know the importance of education.” Toshao Perreira thanked the team for visiting the school and expressed gratitude for the commitment given to have the school opened for the new school year.
The Kato Secondary School was completed three years ago but was never commissioned since investigations revealed a number of structural defects which needed to be remedied before students and teachers could occupy the building.