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Vreed-en-Hoop to get new $979M secondary school
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside regional officials and students turning the sod for the new $979 milion Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School at Crane, West Coast Demerara. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Education)
Kaieteur News – Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Wednesday turned the sod to officially commence construction on the new $979 million Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School, which will be constructed at Crane, West Coast Demerara, Region Three.
According to information provided by the ministry, the school project will be done in four lots for a grand total of $979,620,900.
The contracts which were awarded following the national public bidding process are as follow: Lot One will cover the sub-structure, superstructure, electrical works, plumbing, fire safety, and finishing for administrative areas, the library, and classrooms, and will be carried out by K&S General Construction for $323,500,000; Lot Two will include similar works for the science labs, mechanical labs, technology drawing labs, and classrooms and will be done by D&S Construction for $279,800,000; Lot Three, which involves external works, will be executed by Ele’s Trading and Hardware for $269,110,500; Lot Four entails furnishing. This aspect was awarded to PS23 Construction for $107,210,400.
The ministry stated that the construction period is expected to be nine months, with many components being developed concurrently to meet the projected timeline. Further, there will be a nine-month defects liability period for some components, ensuring quality and allowing for any necessary adjustments or corrections during that time.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand inspecting the construction of the $1.3 billion Nismes Secondary School on Wednesday.
GR Engineering will serve as the consultant for the project, overseeing all technical and supervisory aspects.
Providing a brief breakdown of the features of school, the ministry shared that the modern facility will be a fully reinforced concrete structure featuring transparent roof sheeting and a circular building outline.
“It will house over 500 students and support the delivery of education that meets both academic and technical needs. The school will include more than 20 classrooms, a science center equipped with physics, chemistry, and biology laboratories, and a TVET center furnished with industrial and home economics labs,” the ministry informed.
When completed, students will also benefit from a multi-purpose hall, a canteen and cafeteria, and an international library or document center.
Additionally, a sanitary block will be constructed to serve the student body and teaching staff. Importantly, the ministry noted that safety has been a key consideration in the design, with fire escape exits, alarms, extinguishers, escape doors, fire-retardant panels, limited use of timber, and metal ceilings forming part of the fire prevention system.
The building will also have outdoor recreational spaces which will enable students to participate in sports such as basketball and cricket, which form an important part of the school’s wider curriculum.
Noting the significance of this school, the education ministry related that it forms part of the broader mission to close the education access gap, particularly in rapidly expanding communities.
“It is a testament to the government’s unwavering focus on providing every child with the opportunity to learn in a safe, modern, and well-equipped environment,” the ministry said in a release.
Speaking in live broadcast via the ministry’s Facebook page, Minister Manickchand said that Region Three has been one of the regions with limited space to accommodate secondary age students.
She said to address this issue, the ministry has now moved to construct some five new secondary schools in the region to accommodate the students.
While in Region Three, the minister also visited the secondary school project at Nismes on the West Bank of Demerara. There she briefed that works are currently ongoing with contractors looking to have works completed in July.
“I am here to say that the Nismes Secondary School will begin in September and because this school is beginning in September, we’re going to be able close all primary tops. This school and the Tuschen Secondary School, we’re going to be able to close all primary tops across Region Three,” she explained.
Kaieteur News had reported that in November 2024, the Education Ministry turned the sod for the $1.3 billion secondary school at Nismes.
The minister and her team also visited the construction of the $864 million Tuschen Secondary School, which is near completion.
A section of the new Tuschen Secondary School. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Education)
- K&S General Construction, Nismes Secondary School, Priya Manickchand, Tuschen Secondary School, Vreed-en-Hoop
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