President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Saturday commissioned the newly constructed Yupukari Secondary School in Region Nine, marking a historic milestone in the government’s ongoing commitment to equitable education for all Guyanese.
The school, which will serve approximately 200 students from Yupukari and neighboring communities such as Fly Hill, Quatata, and Kaicumbay, stands as a beacon of progress for the hinterland region. This initiative will significantly reduce the need for students to travel long distances or live in dormitories at St. Ignatius Secondary School in order to access secondary education.
The commissioning of the Yupukari Secondary School followed the earlier commissioning of the Katoka Secondary School on the same day, further emphasizing the administration’s steadfast focus on improving educational infrastructure across Region Nine.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Honourable Minister of Education Priya Manickchand highlighted the transformative impact of the government’s education agenda. She emphasized that the investments being made—from school infrastructure and trained teachers to learning materials and daily meals—are designed to ensure every child, regardless of where they live, has access to high-quality education. In her remarks, she stated:
“Now, each and every single child has a package in their book bags to carry home — if they choose to — all the textbooks they need for all subjects, from Nursery straight up to Secondary. All your children are getting breakfast and lunch, and it’s your village — the women in your village — that we’re paying to do that.
Then, you have schools going up. Not a primary top — a discreet secondary school with trained teachers to deliver the full programme. We’re building schools in Karasabai, Tabatinga, Maruranau, Nappi, Massara — seven secondary schools in one Irfaan Ali term. Since the first set of people settled here, this region only had four schools – three of them were secondary: St. Ignatius, Sand Creek, Aishalton, and Annai. Now, in just five years, we’re adding seven more.
That means 2,500 new secondary seats, giving students the chance to go from Grade Nine to CXC, then on to university. We are creating opportunities never before imagined.”
The construction of the Yupukari Secondary School was awarded to contractor Clyve King through a competitive bidding process conducted under the guidelines of the Public Procurement Act and supervised by the National Tender Board Administration to ensure full transparency and fairness.
This development forms part of the Ministry of Education’s broader strategy to eliminate educational inequities between the coastland and hinterland regions. Through investments in infrastructure, trained educators, and support systems, the government is working to guarantee that every child—regardless of geographic location—has access to quality education.
Parents, educators, and community members have welcomed the school as a transformative step forward, poised to improve academic outcomes and reduce dropout rates. The facility will offer students a nurturing and resource-equipped environment to thrive academically, without the burden of relocation or extensive travel.
The commissioning of the Yupukari Secondary School Block reaffirms the Ministry of Education’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind. It is yet another testament to the government’s unwavering dedication to investing in the future of Guyana—one school, one community, and one child at a time.
