Shulinab to get $350 million secondary school 

See below the full release from the Ministry of Education:

The hinterland village of Shulinab, nestled in the South Central Rupununi of Region 9, is set to benefit from a transformative investment in education.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, turned the sod on Tuesday for a construction initiative that will give rise to a brand-new secondary school, complete with all critical infrastructure needed to support both learners and teachers in one of Guyana’s most remote communities.

A total of 20 construction contracts have been awarded to facilitate the development of this new facility, which includes dormitories, sanitary blocks, teachers’ quarters, dining and kitchen areas, electrical works, water storage systems, a tarmac, perimeter fencing, and the school buildings themselves. These contracts were awarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), in full compliance with Guyana’s Procurement Laws and Regulations, ensuring transparency, competitiveness, and value for public funds.

This development signals the Government of Guyana’s continued commitment to closing the gap between hinterland and coastland education. For decades, students in places like Shulinab have faced limited access to secondary education, often having to travel long distances or leave their communities entirely in order to attend school.

The construction work will be carried out by a number of contractors who were successful through the national competitive bidding process, with the project estimated to be completed in about 6-8 months.

This school in Shulinab marks a major development milestone for generations of students. It’s part of a broader push by the Ministry to ensure that every child in Guyana, no matter where they are born, has access to quality education.

Currently, the Government of Guyana is undertaking the construction of more than 40 new secondary schools across the country as part of its unwavering commitment to improving access to education at every level. This national effort is particularly focused on the hinterland regions, where the aim is to achieve Universal Secondary Education by ensuring that indigenous and remote communities are no longer left behind.

In Region 1, five secondary schools are either under construction or recently completed. Hosororo, Kwebanna, Waramuri, and Matthew’s Ridge are all in progress, while the North West Secondary School has already been completed and commissioned.

Region 6 is seeing the addition of a new secondary school at Orealla, bringing secondary education closer to the riverine communities of the region.

In Region 7, four secondary schools at Jawalla, Issano, Karrau, and Phillipai are being built to serve children from several Indigenous communities that previously relied on primary-top schools or had no access at all to secondary education.

Region 8 is also benefitting significantly, with new secondary schools being developed at Micobie, Monkey Mountain, and Kopinang. Each of these institutions is designed to include learning environments in some of the most remote areas of the country.

Region 9 has already seen the successful commissioning of Katoka and Yupukari Secondary Schools, both of which are now fully operational. Additional schools are currently under construction at Maruranau, Nappi, Tabatinga, Karasabai, Massara, Karaudarnau, and most recently, Shulinab.

These projects are vital in reducing the distances students must travel to access education and in building a future where every child in Region 9 has access to a complete secondary education close to home.

With each school that goes up, the Government of Guyana is moving one step closer to making quality education a reality for all, regardless of geography.

Editor’s note: The News Room updated this story to add the cost of the school to the headline.