Close to 500 learners from Georgetown and surrounding communities will return to a spanking new three-storey building come September, as President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali officially commissioned the new Brickdam Secondary School at the corner of Camp Street and Brickdam on Monday.
The school became unusable in 2016, and the government moved to reconstruct the facility on the site previously occupied by St Mary’s Secondary. It has now transformed into a modern facility with 22 classrooms, three staff rooms, a counselling room and a sick bay.
Addressing the large gathering in the school’s auditorium, President Ali reiterated that the education sector is in “safe hands” under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government.
By constructing new schools across the country, President Ali noted that the government is creating opportunities for the future generation and turning access into action.
“The construction of this school represents another installment in the efforts that we are making to improve educational access, attainment, and quality all across our country,” he stated.
President Ali emphasised the government’s commitment to delivering universal secondary education by 2026, highlighting the investments and strides that have been made.
Since taking office in 2020, the PPP/C administration has launched the largest secondary school construction drive in the nation’s history, spanning both coastland and hinterland.
The aim, he explained, is to make secondary education a right for every Guyanese child, regardless of their geographical location.
“Today is another manifestation of the right of education for the nation’s children. We will end the practice of primary top schools, where some secondary subjects were offered in primary schools after grade six,” the president underscored.
President Ali made it clear that Guyana’s education reform is no longer an idea; it is a reality happening in real time.
“Our children deserve the best, not eventually, but immediately. In Guyana, quality education is no longer a distant promise. It is a living reality,” he stated.
Brickdam Secondary’s Headmistress, Miss Yvette McBean-Hawker, welcomed the reopening of the learning institution, stating that it signifies the right to education in comfort.
“We are deeply honoured by the presence of His Excellency,” she said. “Your presence here today sends a clear message that education remains a national priority and that the future of Guyana depends on the investment we made in our young people.”
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand also delivered remarks at the simple yet important commissioning ceremony, revealing that by next year, 100 per cent of teachers staffing the school will be trained.
The school’s construction was split into six lots to ensure speedy completion. It is part of the government’s plan of enhancing education facilities nationwide.
Only a few weeks ago, President Ali commissioned the new Christ Church Secondary School and a state-of-the-art St George’s School of Sciences, a pioneering step in reshaping Guyana as a “new model of education”.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) remains committed to delivering universal secondary school. This is reflected in the number of secondary schools constructed since 2020 and the reconstruction of existing ones to push Guyana to achieve universal secondary education by mid-next year.
By September, the government will have commissioned at least 20 new schools.
