The Ministry of Education today commissioned the newly rebuilt Brickdam Secondary School, part of a broader push to modernise the country’s education infrastructure.
The new facility, located at Brickdam and Camp Street in Georgetown, replaces the former St Mary’s High School, which was decommissioned in 2016. President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Education Minister Priya Manickchand led the commissioning ceremony.
The three-storey building has capacity for more than 550 students and includes 22 classrooms, three staff rooms, a counsellor’s office, a sick bay, two deputy head offices, a headteacher’s office, two science laboratories, three home economics rooms, a computer lab, an industrial technology room, an auditorium and three restrooms.
Sixty-two teachers and support staff will operate the school under the leadership of Headteacher Yevett Mc Bean-Hawker.
The school follows a five-year curriculum preparing students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams in Grades 10 and 11. Officials said the school currently reports a 95 per cent pass rate and 80 per cent matriculation rate.
President Ali said the project was part of a national programme to improve education outcomes and expand access across regions, including the hinterland. More than 40 schools have been built or rehabilitated since 2020.
The Brickdam Secondary School, he said is not just about buildings, but the creation of an environment that will support the development of Guyana.
The Ministry of Education also announced plans to equip rural schools with science laboratories and expand the use of smart classrooms, including at Brickdam.
Minister Manickchand said the government has refunded over $140 million in CSEC and CAPE exam fees this year. A new policy will also require public schools to dedicate Friday afternoons to physical education and sports.
Classes at the new school are scheduled to begin in September.
