New $1.3B Nismes Secondary School to welcome students from next week

Construction of the new $1.3 billion Nismes Secondary School on the West Bank of Demerara is being fast-tracked, with students set to begin moving into classrooms as early as next week, even as finishing works continue.

Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, visited the site on Friday and confirmed that while the state-of-the-art facility is scheduled for full completion by the end of December, three of the school’s buildings—including 11 classrooms—will be ready over the weekend.

“We will now be able to move students from the old building to the new complex while construction continues on the dome and other buildings,” Minister Parag said. She explained that these other facilities include the administrative block, library, science laboratories, and a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) wing.

The minister emphasised that the phased relocation will only proceed after consultation with parents. “We really would like the complex to be completed so students can move into the new buildings, but we are making sure to involve parents in that process,” she noted.

To ensure the entire project is finished in time for the new school term in January, Parag has directed contractors to double their workforce and extend hours where necessary. She also instructed that the project be closely monitored. “I will be having the consultant come to this site every day, or every other day, to make sure progress is happening day by day,” she said.

Once complete, the modern Nismes Secondary School will accommodate around 800 students and feature more than 20 classrooms, specialised labs, and other amenities aimed at advancing the government’s goal of Universal Secondary Education.

Parag stressed that the project forms part of the administration’s broader push to modernise education delivery. “We’ve ensured that we, as a government, invested heavily in the last five years in education. There are still some delayed commitments, and this is one of the schools we are determined to bring to completion,” she said.