• as Gov’t expands access to secondary education in Region Three

IN a significant push to eliminate Primary Tops and expand access to quality secondary education, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Wednesday, turned the sod for the construction of the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School, one of five new schools being built in Region Three.

The new school, to be constructed at Crane, represents a nearly $1 billion investment in the Government’s mission to deliver universal, modern secondary education across Guyana. Once completed, the state-of-the-art facility will accommodate over 500 students, providing both academic and technical education opportunities.

According to a release from the Ministry of Education, the school will be a fully reinforced concrete structure with a distinctive circular layout and transparent roof sheeting to enhance natural light. It will include more than 20 classrooms, a science centre with specialised laboratories for physics, chemistry, and biology, and a TVET wing equipped with industrial technology and home economics laboratories.
Students will also benefit from a multi-purpose hall, cafeteria, international library/document centre, and ample outdoor recreational spaces to support sports such as basketball and cricket. The school will feature a dedicated sanitary block and incorporate comprehensive fire safety measures including escape exits, alarms, extinguishers, and fire-retardant panels.

The total project, valued at $979,620,900, has been divided into four construction lots, awarded through a transparent public tendering process in accordance with the Procurement Act. The contracts are as follows: Lot One (admin areas, classrooms, electrical/plumbing, fire safety): K&S General Construction – $323.5M; Lot Two (science & mechanical labs, tech drawing): D&S Construction – $279.8M; Lot Three (external works): Ele’s Trading and Hardware – $269.1M; and Lot Four (furnishings): PS23 Construction – $107.2M.

GR Engineering will provide consultancy and supervision for the project, which is scheduled to be completed within nine months. A defects liability period will follow, ensuring quality and durability.
The new Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary forms part of a broader Ministry initiative to close the education access gap in fast-growing communities. The Education Minister also visited the nearby Tuschen Secondary School, where works are nearing completion. The facility, which includes a multi-purpose court, shade house, and agricultural plot, will be delivered in a few weeks.
“The new thinking is that school must not be burdensome—it must be a place children want to come to,” Minister Manickchand said during her site visits.

She emphasised that the addition of these secondary schools—De Willem, Tuschen, Nismes, Westminster, and now Crane—will significantly enhance Region Three’s education infrastructure.
“All of Region Three, with the five secondary schools that we’re building… is going to be great with secondary education. I’m really, really looking forward to it,” the Minister added.

The expansion also allows Primary schools to reclaim space and be renovated to better accommodate younger learners, further enhancing the overall education system in the region.

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2025/06/19/construction-begins-on-979m-vreed-en-hoop-secondary/