The government is pushing ahead its education drive with the commissioning of a new secondary school at De Willem in Region Three, a release from the Ministry of Education said yesterday.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, yesterday commissioned the De Willem Secondary School in Region Three. Also present were Region-al Executive Officer, Jagnarine Somwar; Regional Education Officer, Akbar Chindu; Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary), Tiffany Harvey; and Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary), Rabindra Singh.
The opening of the new school means that as of Monday, the Primary Top students attending Saraswat Primary School will no longer have to attend a Secondary Class in a Primary School but from Monday will be attending a discrete secondary school to receive a complete secondary education.
The new school will accommodate over 350 learners.
The minister explained that there are secondary-aged learners in Lanaballi, Saxacalli, Omorashi, and lower and upper Bonasika, who are unable to access a secondary education and who have been enrolled into Primary Tops. As such, either next week or the following week, those students will be attending a discrete secondary school, the Leonora Secondary School. Further, they will be housed in dormitories that have been built and are now ready to accommodate students.
“So, when we say getting a secondary education is important, it’s more than just words. When we say to you that we believe education is important, you will see our actions accompanying that building out of schools, training teachers, helping parents get their kids into school, giving textbooks, giving school grants. You will see that in our action.”
According to the release, in addition to the De Willem Secondary School, new secondary schools will be built at Crane, Tuschen, and Nismes, to accommodate all of the secondary-aged learners in the region.
However, Manickchand took care to point out that in addition to constructing new schools, there needs to be a trained teacher in every classroom. She noted that
She said that prior to 2021, the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) accepted about 530 teachers but can now accept a few thousand teachers into the college that is now offering both online and in person instruction. And because of the online offering, CPCE is now going to graduate 2,500 students for the first time.
Headteacher of the Uitvlugt Secondary School, Keith Sampson, who also spoke at the commissioning, said that today, “we commissioned renewed purpose.” In the past, he explained, the old building which the new structure has replaced housed the Zeeburg Secon-dary School. Further, he said that in 2016 a new Zeeburg Secondary School was built leaving the old structure wanting for purpose. The building was later refurbished to serve as an annex to the Uitvlugt Secondary School.
Meanwhile, Regional Vice-Chairperson, Omesh Satyanand, noted that only a few weeks ago the region commissioned a new primary school in Tuschen. He said that the region is experiencing wholistic growth especially in the education sector where more children are attending school.
Reference was made to the School Feeding and Breakfast Programmes, with the Vice-Chairperson expressing his pleasure that children can attend school and receive breakfast or a snack. He noted that the RDC is happy with the work the Ministry is doing in the region along with its officers and teachers in the classrooms. “You guys are doing a great job and that is why we are partnering with you to ensure that the delivery of education is second to none in this country,” he remarked.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (right) and Regional Executive Officer, Jagnarine Somwar, revealing the plaque to mark the commissioning. (Ministry of Education photo)
