Ministers Manickchand, Dharamlall and Bharrat turning the sod for the construction of the new school
As the state through the Ministries of Education and Local Government spends $585 million to reconstruct the New Abrams Zuil Secondary School, the contractor for the project will be closely monitored to ensure value for money is delivered.
On Wednesday in Region 2 at the site where the school once stood, Ministers of Education, Local Government and Natural Resources: Priya Manickchand, Nigel Dharamlall and Vickram Bharat respectively, took part in a sod turning exercise.
The project is being done through the Ministry of Local Government. Minister Dharamlall in remarks at the sod turning said the building would be a modern one and one that can be considered an investment in Region 2’s economy.
Eight Hundred students will be accommodated once the school is complete.
Builders Hardware and General Supplies has been awarded the contract and the signing to that effect was done some few weeks ago.
Dharamlall said his ministry would be monitoring the project to ensure that there is also strict adherence to timelines and deadlines.
In her remarks as reported by the Ministry of Education in a statement, Education Minister Manickchand said for the last five years the school reached a state where it required heavy maintenance work but nothing was done causing more than 500 children to suffer.
Also, Minister Manickchand said that it will soon be something of the past that there are no schools in the Region that offer the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
She said that there are a few regions that do not offer CAPE and that the Ministry is working to sensibly and effectively offer the programme in those regions.
However, Minister Manickchand noted that this must be introduced sensibly by ensuring the regions have all the facilities and teachers necessary to offer CAPE to students.
The ministry will be looking to have suitable places to have children placed during the construction phase of the school. A meeting to that effect was held some two months ago where several ideas were floated.
Construction of the school is said to be finish by next year.