Efforts to improve secondary education in Region One are moving into high gear, with modern schools, upgraded dormitories, and expanded nutrition programmes now reaching some of the region’s most remote communities.
Deputy Chief Education Officer for Amerindian and Hinterland Education Development (AHED), Marti DeSouza, says his long-held vision of placing secondary schools at key locations is becoming a reality.
“It’s always been my dream to see secondary schools at the critical locations in this sub-region. With new facilities at Waramuri, Cabana, and St. Nicholas, along with upgraded dormitories, we can finally say the transformation is happening,” DeSouza said.
DeSouza, who first pushed for these projects in 2014, noted that while progress was once stalled by funding issues, communities such as Quibano will soon benefit from their own schools.
The developments are part of the Ministry of Education’s wider Hinterland Education Improvement drive, which has been closing the gap between coastland and hinterland schools through infrastructure upgrades, trained teacher deployment, and the national school feeding programme.
National School Feeding Programme, Hinterland Coordinator, Nigel Richards, reflected on how much has changed since he began working in Moruca three decades ago.
“When I first came in 1994, students either brought lunch or had none at all. Now, every school here has a feeding programme and last year, we added breakfast. That’s two meals a day, helping children stay focused and learn,” Richards said.
According to the ministry, the combined approach of providing modern facilities, schools within easier reach, and reliable nutrition is expected to boost attendance, improve academic performance, and enhance the overall well-being of hinterland students.
