Two years after the devastating fire that destroyed the Christ Church Secondary School, President Dr. Irfaan Ali officially commissioned a brand-new $940.7 million facility on the same site at Middle and Camp Streets.
The newly constructed school is designed to serve over 500 students and features 20 classrooms, eight state-of-the-art laboratories, including science, IT, and industrial technology labs, a library, and a large auditorium complete with separate male and female changing rooms.
The facility also includes accessible washrooms on every floor, staff rooms with lunch and shower amenities, a sick bay, storage areas, and a canteen to support both learning and comfort.
Built with stringent fire safety measures, the school is fully furnished and equipped with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and fire-resistant materials throughout the premises.
At the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, President Ali reflected on the tragic loss caused by the fire, which was deliberately set, destroying decades of memories and disrupting students’ education.
“With hearts full of pride and eyes lifted toward promise, we declare without hesitation and without apology, Christ Church is back and back in business—the business of education, empowerment, and enlightenment,” he stated to enthusiastic applause.
Highlighting the global education crisis, the President noted that 250 million school-age children worldwide remain out of school, with 14 per cent of lower-secondary and 30 per cent of upper-secondary youth missing out on education.
“These statistics represent lost futures and wasted potential, and Guyana must rise above this reality,” he said.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to delivering universal secondary education by 2026, stressing, “If Guyana is to be taken seriously on the world stage, if we are to be more than a resource-rich nation, then universal secondary education must not just be a goal. It must be a given.”
President Ali also announced incentives to enhance teacher training, including additional allowances and career development opportunities via free tertiary education at the University of Guyana and the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
The President detailed that 40 new or extended secondary schools are currently under construction or rehabilitation nationwide, with numerous others being upgraded with improved laboratories and practical instruction centres. “This government is not simply building schools. It is fashioning a world-class education system so that you can be the best you can be,” he affirmed.
Further emphasising regional cooperation, President Ali announced plans for the soon-to-be-launched Guyana Digital School, which will be accessible to children throughout the Caribbean.
“We want them to be part of it. We want all of the region to rise with us. Christ Church Secondary School is a signal that the dream of the 50s is not dead. It is alive and gaining momentum,” he said.
Recognising challenges faced by young people, particularly female teachers balancing career and family, the President pledged a nationwide investment in childcare facilities to support educators in advancing their careers without sacrificing family life.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand recalled the trauma of the 2023 fire and acknowledged the difficult journey to rebuild.
“Despite challenges, doubt, resistance, and hardship, the government delivered, bigger and better,” she said, assuring parents of ongoing government support for quality infrastructure and lifelong learning.
Headteacher Monett Greene-Pitt expressed profound gratitude to President Ali and Minister Manickchand for their leadership and dedication in restoring the school. She praised the government’s efforts to provide students and teachers a swift return to their rightful home.
The construction of CCSS was completed in seven lots by a consortium of contracting companies: BM Property Investment Inc., Zeco Group of Services Inc., N. Balgobin & Sons Contracting Service & Electrical Supplies, Ograsein & Sons General Contracting, and Pantheon Construction Inc.
