ONE hundred twenty-one nursery-aged children of Number Eight Village and Hopetown in Region Five will no longer be crammed into tiny classrooms.
The commissioning of new nursery schools along the West Coast of Berbice means they can now learn in spacious and comfortable classrooms.
The schools were officially opened by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Monday.

The children and teachers were previously at Number Eight Primary, but now 41 nursery-aged pupils will go to a new $85 million nursery school with five teachers. The village has a nursery, primary, and secondary schools.

Meanwhile, the $90 million nursery facility at Hopetown has 80 children and nine trained teachers.
Before the new school’s construction, the teachers and children were housed at the same location in an old wooden building.

Hopetown now has a nursery and primary school, as well as a Practical Instruction Centre (PIC).

With the construction of 67 nurseries across Guyana in three-and-a-half years, access to early childhood education has been strengthened.
Minister Manickchand said this is the most nursery schools that have ever been built in three-and-a-half years.

“This was the highest investment ever made; we can be proud of that achievement,” she said.

Although nursery education is not compulsory in Guyana, Minister Manickchand stressed that every child is guaranteed a place in a nursery school, noting, “We want to develop well-rounded, wholesome students ready to take on primary education.”

The education minister assured that the government will keep ensuring the right educational infrastructure is available nationwide, along with trained teachers and learning resources. (DPI)