Jul 1, 2026
2 min read
A $421.2 million annex will rise at St Joseph's High School as officials today turned the sod, launching an expansion project that will ease overcrowding by creating space for 250 additional students.
The project, funded by the World Bank, will be executed by Khemraj Nauth Incorporated and is expected to be completed within 10 months, with an April 2027 deadline.
The ceremony was attended by First Lady Arya Ali, an alumna of the school; Education Minister Sonia Parag; Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Stephen Jacobs; World Bank Senior Education Specialist Lauren Marston; and Ministry of Education officials, teachers and students.
The two-storey annex will span approximately 22,360 square feet and include 10 classrooms, physics and biology laboratories, an allied arts room, a clothing and textiles classroom, a home management classroom, an AutoCAD room, a sick bay, a counselling room, a staff room, and accessible washroom facilities.
Principal Tulsidai Raghubansi said the project addresses longstanding infrastructural challenges at the school.
"The new two-storey annex will encompass an impressive 22,360 square feet upon completion and will accommodate an additional 250 students.
This expansion will reduce overcrowding and provide our students with the space they need to learn, collaborate and thrive as students of St Joseph's High," Raghubansi said.
Delivering the feature address, Ali described the project as a demonstration of the government's continued investment in education.
"This investment exemplifies our dedication to strengthening the education sector and ensuring that every child has access to quality learning environments that foster excellence and inspire achievement," she said.
Parag said the project forms part of the government's broader effort to expand equitable access to education across the country, including in hinterland and rural communities, adding that Guyana is on track to achieve universal access to secondary education by the end of the year.
Marston, representing the World Bank, said the project reflects what can be achieved through strong partnerships and sustained investment in education.
Jacobs pledged additional sporting equipment for the school, including cricket gear, to complement the new facilities.
The Ministry of Education said construction would be monitored to minimise disruption to classes, with the annex expected to improve educational outcomes when it is completed in April 2027.
