Linden to get new $2.6B Christianburg Multilateral School

Prime Minister Bridgadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside Representative from World Bank, Ms. Diletta Doretti, students and other officials turning the sod for the new Christianburg Multilateral Secondary School in Region 10.

Prime Minister Bridgadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside Representative from World Bank, Ms. Diletta Doretti, students and other officials turning the sod for the new Christianburg Multilateral Secondary School in Region 10.

By Alliyah Allicock

Kaieteur News – Prime Minister Bridgadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Monday turned the sod for the construction of the new $2.6 billion Christianburg Multilateral Secondary School in Linden, Region 10.

The school project which is being financed through a loan from the World Bank will be executed by PowerChina Jiangxi Electric Power Construction Company Limited to the tune of US$12,821,592.32 (GY$2.66 billion).

PowerChina was awarded the contract following the National bidding process. Kaieteur News understands that the project will be supervised by Kalitech Inc and has a duration of 17 months.

This publication understands that the school will be situated on some 244,000sq. ft. of land and will comprise of nine blocks (67,000sq ft). When completed, it will include an administrative block (comprising of the Principal Office, staff room, conference room and sick bay), multipurpose hall, 35 classrooms, a science block with three laboratories, technology vocational block, home economics block, performing arts block, library, recreational area among other amenities.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Manickchand said the new Christianburg Multilateral is one of three new secondary schools scheduled for Region 10. “Here in Region 10, I’m very glad to say that there are three new secondary schools, being built and that would be at Wairuni, Hurururu where we began secondary education, because the residents there asked us to do that, and that now needs to be expanded and here at Christiansburg,” she said. “This Christianburg story is really a very beautiful story that took us long, because sometimes processes with our dear partners take longer than when we are using local funds and to make sure we are compliant, we have to go through those processes,” she continued.

According to the minister, following the sod turning ceremony, construction on the building will begin immediately and it is going to accommodate some 1000 children and 107 teachers. Speaking about teachers, the minister briefed that within the last four years in Region 10, some 384 teachers have been trained and specifically at Christianburg Secondary, 28 are in training. The minister added that it is not only about providing access but ensuring that once students get into schools that they are receiving a higher quality of education.

Prime Minister Phillips in remarks shared that the Christianburg Secondary means a lot to him since he is a former student of the institution. The Prime Minister related that at a previous reunion, he was made aware of the various challenges the current school faces and made a promise that his government will have a new school built.

“I’m a proud former student of Christianburg Wismar Secondary School known as Multi. These grounds have shaped me just as they have shaped thousands of past and current students, and we will continue to shape generations to come. That is why this project holds a deep personal significance for me when I stood before you prior to 2020 as I mentioned earlier, that promise was made. Today I return with my ministerial colleagues and government officials to deliver on that promise, to turn the sod and fulfill that promise with a modern world-class school,” he said.

It was disclosed by the Prime Minister that not only will a new modern school be constructed but also a new playground will be built.

Speaking on the significance for a new secondary building was Christianburg’s Secondary Principal, Shellane Craigwell who noted that the current building posed several challenges for learners and staff. According to the Principal, the Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary was officially established on the 14th of September 1975 and was originally designed to accommodate 500 students and staff.

She noted the school was founded with the primary aim of equipping learners with technical and vocational skills, an objective that remains evident today, even as many of the tools of the Industrial Technology Department have become outdated.

She further explained “Over the years, three major challenges have significantly impacted the institution. First, surface erosion has compromised the foundation of the current school building. Second, the lack of timely and adequate maintenance has led to the deterioration of the physical infrastructure. Thirdly, and perhaps most pressing, is the issue of overpopulation.”

Craigwell noted that the school was initially built for 500 students now serves more than 700 students and a teaching staff of over 100. This overcrowding she stated has resulted in congested classrooms and cramped staff rooms, making it increasingly difficult to maintain effective teaching and learning environments. The Principal expressed that the construction of a new modern school facility with adequate space and infrastructure will go a long way in addressing these issues.

“Such a development will not only relieve overcrowding, but also enhance teacher efficiency and improve student outcomes significantly. It is important to note that CWSS currently functions as a Sixth Form institution and is optimized that very soon, the school will be gazzetted as a Sixth Form school,” she related.

Meanwhile, Representative from World Bank, Ms. Diletta Doretti said the Bank is proud to be a partner in this project noting they have championed numerous education projects like this one. “This is a catalyst for promoting equity and again, in job creation in Guyana. We are a long-standing partner of the government. I’d like to thank the government for trusting the World Bank as a lead partner in the education sector and we have been working from nursery to secondary and most recently TVET. We recognize that investing in education, investing in people is really catalytic at this moment of Guyana’s economic transformation,” she related.

Agricultural funding

This publication had reported that in December 2024, the Education Ministry issued a tender, requesting bids for the project, at which both local and overseas firms initially applied for the contract. In its tender document, the Ministry stated that Guyana had received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the ‘Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project.’