New Grove/Diamond Primary School opens smoothly – Education Minister warns contractors about incomplete work
Georgetown, GINA, September 4, 2012 -- Source - GINA
The first day of the new school year began happily for primary children in the Grove/Diamond community on the East Bank Demerara, as they took possession of a brand new school. Minister of Education Priya Manickchand was also at ease when she visited the school on Monday.
“We walked through the classes and everything is orderly for the children here, they are receiving an education on the first day of school. People say nothing really happens on the first day, but all classes are in session and teachers are in place, they are teaching. The furniture is in place and everything is going smoothly. I am really glad about that,” she said.
The eager hands went up as students enthusiastically began
classes in the new Grove/Diamond Primary school when its
doors opened for the first time on September 3
The Minister said that visits like hers were occurring across the country as Education Officers had fanned out to check on schools’ opening after a two month vacation.
“This brand new school is in keeping with Government’s commitment to educating our nation,’ she stated. However, she noted that there is a part of the school that is still incomplete, where the windows have not yet been put in.
A little nostalgic maybe, Education Minister Priya
Manickchand personally ensures that the seats are
comfortable for the very first class of students studying
for the National Grade Six Assessment Examinations at
the new Grove/Diamond Primary School
Minister Manickchand slammed the contractors for this and put all others on notice, “These are the kind of things that cause grave hardship. When contractors don’t do what they are supposed to do on time. The Ministry is going to take a very firm view of contractors who don’t finish their work. We are going to be applying for damages for every single day that you don’t finish your work. Because when that happens it is our children that suffer. If contractors are going to be bidding for jobs and saying that we can finish it for x-time for x-amount of money, then they have to stick to that or we will be taking them to Court and applying all the penalties that we are allowed to apply. We want to sound that warning to all contractors who will be bidding for projects in the Ministry of Education,” the Minister firmly declared.
She further stated that each time is a project is awarded “we are going to the communities with all the documents, and posting up across the communities, and that particular community, bills of quantities contract, so the community is fully aware, and can help us watch the contractors and see what they are doing.”
At the new Grove/Diamond Primary School, books are open,
children are studying and teachers are teaching and they both
got started on the curriculum for the new school year
Minister Manickchand declared that it was ridiculous “that we are spending that kind of money and are not getting the returns. It’s criminal really, when you think that we are a poor country, and we are spending money on building schools, and them some ‘cock sure’ contractor is coming and giving us work that is substandard. We have to be careful with that,” she added emphatically.
While she is pleased with the work on the new primary school, she reiterated her disappointment that the windows of an entire section are not yet in.
Meanwhile, Wendy Chichester, Deputy Head Mistress and acting HM of the new school said that the goal is to ensure that the children realize their full potential. “We are going to be working really hard as we will be striving to make this school one of the most, if not the most child friendly school in our country. That is our intention and our purpose,” she vowed.
Approximately 515 children have been registered for school but, only about 400 turned up today. Chichester explained that there were a few snarls in accessing transfer documents for the children due to the holidays. Additionally, some school records and Child Development Index cards are also to be received.
Students at the Diamond Secondary School sit ready as the
new school year began September 3
The school was built to accommodate approximately 1,000 children and is equipped with a canteen, kitchen, restrooms, and a library. The Headmistress (ag) threw out a challenge to private and/or public sector organisations for the donation of books to the library.
An additional visit was made to the nearby Diamond Secondary school which Minister Manickchand described as an investment in the quest to achieve universal secondary education. “This school accommodated a lot of children that, before it was built, were going to primary tops. This school is accommodating those children, so that are no longer being passed over into the higher class rooms at the primary schools, and they have performed very well. So it just goes to show that if you give a child an opportunity, we can see Guyana’s children doing well,” she observed.
Head Mistress Lesmeine Collins said the results for the just concluded CSEC examinations were heartening and students did well in the sciences and the first day of school progressed well.
The Education Minister pledged to continue the pursuit of ensuring there is access to secondary education all across the country. She pointed out that it was one of the campaign promises made by the current President, and it will be fulfilled.
Minister Manickchand also noted that the Ministry is examining ways to better deliver education for special needs children. “We have had consultations across the country, and we will have to wrap up and present the reports,” she said, adding that the Ministry will then move on to set up and implement the recommendations that came out of those consultations.
“It is important that we provide and educate not only students who are able but our disabled students also; because we know that we can’t progress fully if we don’t include all. Strong focus will be placed on inclusive education…and ensure that a disabled child receives the same kind and quality of education as every other child.