$177M new wing eases overcrowding at Yarrowkabra Primary

The learning environment at the Yarrowkabra Primary School on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway has been significantly enhanced with the addition of a brand-new wing to accommodate the growing population at the institution. The new section, constructed to the tune of $177 million, is already accommodating some 200 pupils from Grades Four to Six in the eight additional classrooms since March.

The wing also features a canteen, staff office and a dedicated Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) room to support inclusive learning. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the new wing on Tuesday, Education Minister Sonia Parag underscored the importance of this new addition to the Yarrowkabra Primary School to improve not just the learning but also teaching environment.

“Creating an environment that is conducive to nurturing our children so that they can be what we always use as a phase – ‘the future of our country’… we have to put these things in place. Because if you’re having overcrowding at a school, it means that teachers is teaching a classroom of far more than what is supposed to obtain. It means that children would not be comfortable in that environment. It means that learning would suffer or be disrupted because of that,” Parag explained.

According to the Education Minister, the Government has been investing heavily in the last five years to expand educational infrastructure and increase access to quality learning opportunities across the country. These investments, she pointed out, are already reaping the benefits. “The investment in education cannot be overstated; it cannot be underscored enough. Thirty-something schools were built in the last four years alone, giving access where there was absolutely no access to an education… and this year, we will be commissioning far more than 18 schools.”

With these investments, Minister Parag stated, “We will be achieving universal secondary access in Guyana because of the fact that we have invested and we’re investing in these infrastructures in areas where we are geographically challenged so that children can have access to an education. Because why? Because education is the core of any nation’s development.”

The Yarrowkabra Primary School was initially designed to accommodate 250 learners, but with increased enrolments due to the expansion of surrounding communities, the school now has a student population of approximately 415 – which poses a number of challenges. According to the Regional Education Officer (REO) of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Keane Adams. The commissioning of the new wing will significantly reduce the overcrowding and provide a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.

The REO further welcomed the new facilities that the additional wing will now accommodate, especially a music room and the SEND room. These, she added, will ensure learners, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, have access to not just an affordable education but expansive learning facilities. Meanwhile, the addition of this new wing comes on the heels of a series of interventions made by the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC) with support from the Education Ministry, to enhance the Yarrowkabra Primary School.

Over the past year alone, there were repainting works, repairs to lighting systems, improvements to water supply, repairs and extension works on the fence, works on a secondary entrance and sanitary facilities, widening of the entrance to accommodate vehicular access and the construction of an external classroom shed.

“I’ve made it clear that in Region Four we will be people-centred and service-orientated and development-focused. In that spirit, I’m pleased to indicate our intention to support the installation of Starlink internet connectivity for this new wing. In today’s rapidly evolving world, internet access is no longer a luxury but an essential educational tool that connects our students to knowledge, innovation, and opportunities far beyond the walls of the classroom,” Region Four’s Regional Executive Officer Juan Edghill Jr said during briefing remarks at Tuesday’s commissioning ceremony.