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$60.5 million in contracts signed to rehabilitate Karaudarnau & Maruranau primary schools in Reg. 9
Kaieteur News – To ensure students are properly and comfortably accommodated to be taught, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Nine on Thursday signed two contracts valued $60M to rehabilitate Karaudarnau and Maruranau Primary Schools located in South Rupununi.
The two contracts which amount to $60,519,800 was signed between the region’s Regional Executive Officer (REO) Karl Singh and contractors Gormain D’Aguiar and Beerdat Harrinandan.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Office of the REO shared that Gormain D’Aguiar was awarded a $37,437,380 to complete the rehabilitation and extension of Maruranau Primary School, while Beerdat Harrinandan was awarded a $23,082,420 for the rehabilitation of Karaudarnau Primary School.
At the signing ceremony too, Beerdat Harrinandan was awarded another contract worth $37,547,040 for the construction of a Health Training Complex/Administrative Office in Region 9.
No timeline or the scope of works was stated in the Office of the REO but information reaching this publication revealed that the rehabilitative works slated for the schools are long overdue.
In an invited comment on Friday, Toshao of Karaudarnau, Apollos Isaacs told Kaieteur News that the primary school in his village is an old building and it has deteriorated due to “natural wear and tear over the years.”According to him, the school’s building was renovated since 2005 and that currently approximately 195 students attend the school.
The Maruranau Primary School located in Deep South Rupununi in Region Nine. (Photo courtesy of Maruranau Primary School Facebook page)
He disclosed that the roof leaks, there are rotten wooden materials in the rafters, cracks in the floors and walls and broken windows on the school building.
“Our students deserve a comfortable and presentable learning environment. There is need for smart classrooms, proper ventilation and division of classroom for different grades and appropriate space for learning to be conducive for excellence,” the Toshao explained.
He added that over the years, students have been excelling lately in National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations and it is notable that despite the structure, the teachers still go above and beyond to ensure students excel. Isaacs noted that having a rehabilitated school would further motivate the students to do better.
“We’re happy that despite our location and remoteness, we can still have projects of this magnitude being considered for our community by the Government of Guyana,” he commented.
The Karaudarnau Primary School which is located in South Rupununi, Region Nine. (Photo courtesy, Karaudarnau Village Facebook page)
With works slated to start soon, the Toshao said that his village is looking forward to having a spanking new school and “we are confident that the contractor awarded this contract is knowledgeable and the village council of Karaudarnau will be keeping abreast with the progress of this contract.”
Meanwhile, Toshao of Maruranau, Ambrose Bento shared that that primary school is also in dire need of repairs. Bento said that some sections of the building has cracks, and the doors are old.
He said too that the building is small for the increasing number of students going there. Currently, there are 242 students attending the school.
“Last year, four classes were outside using tents, where students are doing their school work there. So that is why the primary school needs extension,” he explained.
It was reported that with its $94.4 billion budgetary allocation, the education sector was allocated some $12.4 billion towards the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities across the country.
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