Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has informed contractors in Region Nine that the terms and conditions of the contracts they signed to build schools must be strictly adhered to. In what must be a spinoff from President Irfaan Ali’s recent 5:30 am meeting which saw ministers, their staff, contractors and consultants being warned against delays, Manickchand visited several school construction sites in Region Nine over the past week.
At the site of the Tabatinga Secondary School yesterday, Manickchand expressed her expectations for increased progress, pointing to the importance of timely completion.
The contractor, however, cited several challenges that have hindered work, including adverse weather conditions, the complex soil type and difficulties in transporting materials. In response, the minister reminded him of the terms of his bid, highlighting that he had entered the contract with a clear understanding of both the advantages and disadvantages inherent to the region.
Manickchand further emphasised that he had bid publicly for the project, and outlined his capabilities of being able to execute the job and it should be done accordingly. She added that while she was not unsympathetic to his challenges, the conditions in the Rupununi have remained unchanged since his bid, suggesting that he should have been aware of these challenges beforehand. Furthermore, she pointed out that there were other bidders who offered higher proposals, underscoring the competitive nature of the bidding process and the expectation for contractors to fulfil their commitments effectively.
Manickchand also pointed to the project’s significance in addressing overcrowding issues. With an investment of $182 million, this new facility is poised to enhance educational access for the region’s youth. Manickchand urged the contractor to treat the project with the utmost seriousness, highlighting its critical role in ensuring that Region Nine achieves proper access to education.
“It’s not just a project, for you it’s a project for us is to change lives. We are depending on this school. I thought I would be able to see a lot more work. I am not unsympathetic to your challenges but that has to be your problem not ours. You bid publicly… and I’m asking you to stick to your bargain,” she said.
The school will accommodate 800 students, directly addressing the overcrowding issues faced by nearby institutions, particularly St Ignatius Secondary School. The Tabatinga Secondary School is part of a broader initiative that includes the construction of four other secondary schools in Region Nine, which collectively aim to provide 2,500 additional seats for secondary education in the area. The project is scheduled for completion within 18 months, ensuring that students can benefit from the new facility in a timely manner.
Among her other site visits in the region was Nappi Secondary School, where she lauded the high quality and timely work being done to meet the needs of the students from three villages. The Nappi Secondary School when completed will cater for 350 students. It will enable the ministry to close primary tops. It features classrooms, laboratories, administration block and teachers’ staff room. The school is valued at $215 million. The visit revealed significant progress as the contractor is aimed towards timely completion. Residents were hired to foster employment during the construction of the school.
Secondary schools will also be built at Karasabai, Massara, Nappi, and Marurana and once completed these schools will ensure that Region Nine has universal access to education.
The minister previously stated that 540 trained teachers from Region Nine have graduated or will soon graduate from the Cyril Potter College of Education.
“From region nine alone, 234 teachers just registered to get trained in September of this year. Our dream that is going to be realised before next year is that every single teacher that stands in front of your children’s classroom will be a teacher who is trained or in training,” she stated.
