$600M reconstructed North Ruimveldt Secondary School commissioned

A new block at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, along with reconstruction works carried out after a fire gutted the institution in 2021, was commissioned on Monday by President Dr Irfaan Ali.

The commissioning is timely as the school’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated in September.

The fire, which occurred on 19 June 2021, significantly impacted the institution, resulting in a reduced student intake to accommodate those displaced. The $566.9 million contract for the reconstruction was awarded to Kares Engineering, with consultancy services provided by engineer Marcel Gaskin. Other upgrades at the school brought the total cost to $600 million.

The reconstruction now paves the way for an expected 1,506 students to be accommodated in the new school term, along with more than 53 teachers and auxiliary staff.

President Ali, speaking at the commissioning ceremony, said the school is better equipped to deliver a rounded education to every child enrolled.

“The North Ruimveldt Secondary School will be fully equipped to provide a kind of comprehensive and balanced education that combines strong academic grounding with practical, hands-on learning, modern science labs, smart classrooms, and technical workshop facilities,” the Head of State said.

He added that students will have access to the tools and facilities needed to excel in areas that give them real-world skills and knowledge.

The reconstructed block now houses an information technology room, management, clothing and textiles classroom, industrial arts classroom, smart classrooms, a library and science laboratories. A large athletics track will also be constructed near the school soon.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand noted that the school recently recorded a pass rate of 85.06 per cent at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations. She emphasised that significant investments in schools are boosting children’s ability to learn.

“We are here with a rebuilt school and it’s going to be even better than it was before. This school has a history; it was the first school in Guyana, in 2015, that we equipped with a smart classroom… today, all our secondary schools have been, or are being, equipped with smart classrooms,” Manickchand said.

In August 2022, the sod was turned for the reconstruction of the building, and the infrastructural works were completed last year.