Education Minister – Region Two to attain universal secondary education by mid-year

Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) will attain universal secondary education in 2023, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand announced Friday. It was  disclosed that Universal access to secondary education is the ability of all students to have equal education regardless of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background or geographical location.

Manickchand was at the time speaking at a ceremony, held to celebrate Anna Regina Multilateral School being declared ‘school of the year’ for 2022 by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

“Here in Region Two, before mid-year, we’re going to be back to declare that the Essequibo coast, in fact, the Pomeroon-Supenaam has achieved universal secondary education and that means, that every child wherever you are, whatever your parents do, will be able to access a high-quality secondary education,” she disclosed.

It was pointed out that to achieve this milestone, the government has made significant investments in education in the region over the past two years.

As such, modes of transportation have been provided for students including boats and buses to ensure those in the riverine communities are not left behind.

“We will buy, in Region Two, more than 15 boats to add to the fleet we currently have. Right now, more than 700 children are travelling to school by boats, and more than 34 teachers are travelling to school by boats,” Minister Manickchand disclosed.

Currently, construction is ongoing on the new Abram Zuil Secondary School, which will benefit approximately 700 students from Abram Zuil and surrounding areas when completed.

Manickchand remains optimistic that construction of the new school will be completed by the end of this month.

“Once we get that school, more children will be able to sit comfortably, and with the more boats and the more buses, and the more schools, we are going to achieve here, the ability for every single child to attend secondary school,” the minister said.

Further, universal education at the primary level was achieved in the early 2000s.

Additionally, the PPP/C Administration since its assumption to office has embarked on an aggressive drive to achieve universal secondary education nationwide.