Sod turned for reconstruction of $566.9M North Ruimveldt Secondary

One year after a main section of the North Ruimveldt Secondary School went up in flames, the sod has been turned for the reconstruction of a brand-new building in its place.

This is in keeping with a promise made by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand in 2021. The new building, which will accommodate over 450 students, will cost some $566.9 million, and will measure approximately 12,960 square feet.

It will be outfitted with new science laboratories, Information Technology (IT) labs, new and remodeled classrooms, staff room, a sanitary block and a modern exterior.

Speaking at the contract signing and sod turning ceremony held in the school’s compound Wednesday, Minister Manickchand highlighted the major learning loss caused by the missing section of school, which is an A-list facility.

“This is the top school in South Georgetown, so it means somebody in South Georgetown, some family—many families—a hundred or so of them whose children could’ve ordinarily come here, will have to travel further and go to more crowded places to access the quality of education that was being delivered here,” she said.

Principal of the school, Allison Cosbert, expressed her gratitude for the government for fulfilling its commitment to restore the lost section of the school.

“Many had doubts as to where we would have been going, but I was there, at meetings and such to assure them that the Minister said she would be giving us our school. And that is what I am proud of today. I can stand here today to say well, that promise is now a reality,” she said.

Minister Manickchand, in her speech, also touched on the importance of education, and urged all stakeholders in the education process to protect learning at all costs.

The school was severely damaged by a fire of unknown origin on June 19, 2021. In the blaze, the school’s IT room, the upper staff room, the school’s library and the technical drawing and architecture room were all destroyed.

The first smart classroom, previously established by the PPP/C Government, was destroyed as well. Minister Manickchand has assured, however, that it will be rebuilt.

The contract was awarded to Kares Engineering, and construction is expected to be completed within the next 14 months.