IN a major stride towards achieving universal secondary education in Guyana’s hinterland, the Ministry of Education has officially launched the construction of a $350 million secondary school in Shulinab, South Central Rupununi.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand turned the sod for the project on Tuesday, marking a historic milestone for one of the country’s most remote Indigenous communities.
The new school will cater to 250 students, and is designed with a comprehensive model of infrastructure to support both learners and teachers.
According to a Ministry of Education statement, 20 construction contracts were awarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to execute the wide-ranging works.

These works include the construction of classrooms, laboratories, dormitories, teachers’ quarters, sanitary blocks, dining and kitchen areas, water storage systems, electrical installations, tarmac, and perimeter fencing.

The project is expected to be completed within six to eight months.
Minister Manickchand highlighted that the initiative reflects a new model of school development in the hinterland, one that avoids large centralised institutions in favour of smaller, community-based schools.

“We could not be happier, because what we are trying to do is a new model; not build large schools where children have to be away from home for longer amounts of time without the guidance and love of their family members, but smaller schools across,” she explained, adding:
“In Region Nine alone, we are building or have built nine secondary schools already.”

For generations, students in Shulinab and surrounding villages have had to travel long distances or relocate to access secondary education.
The new school will bring that opportunity closer to home, helping to close long-standing education gaps in hinterland regions, and supporting the government’s commitment to equitable development.

Toshao Nicolas Fredericks of Shulinab described the sod-turning as a long-awaited achievement.
“We have been behind this school since I remember we joined the council in 2002,” Fredericks said. “It is a pleasure and an honour for me, as a Toshao, to have development take place under my council… We know that this is a government that is willing to work with us as Indigenous Peoples, as we are here to work with the government to ensure that development is brought to our community.”

The impact of the school will also extend beyond Shulinab. Toshao Bryan Ambrose of neighbouring Potarinau Village, speaking on behalf of the wider South Central Rupununi sub-district, said the new facility would ease the burden on students who now face long commutes to Sand Creek Secondary.

“This is a plus for us, especially where education is concerned. I feel relief because of the challenges we face in going to Sand Creek Secondary. So, this is a great effort that has been done by the President himself,” Ambrose said.

The Shulinab Secondary School is part of a broader national effort to build over 40 new secondary schools across Guyana, especially in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Region Nine has already seen new schools completed in Katoka and Yupukari, with others currently under construction in Maruranau, Nappi, Tabatinga, Karasabai, Massara, and Karaudarnau.

With each school being built, Guyana moves closer to fulfilling its promise of ensuring that every child, regardless of geography, has access to quality secondary education within their own community.