The Education Ministry is preparing to pull the plug on the contract for the long-delayed Micobie Secondary School in Region Eight.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand made the disclosure on Thursday during her remarks at the National Toshaos Conference (NTC), where she pointed to growing frustration over stalled school projects across the country.
The Micobie project, she said, is among those that have not moved forward despite funds already being disbursed. The contract was awarded in July 2024 to NK Engineering Services, valued at $253.5 million.
The contractor received a mobilisation payment of $76 million and was expected to complete the school within six months. But nearly a year later, little to no progress has been made.
The Micobie community has been calling for its own secondary school since the tragic Mahdia dormitory fire in 2023, which killed 20 children. The school was seen as a necessary step to reduce the need for students to travel far for education.
According to Manickchand, the contractor did not provide a clear explanation for the delay.
“There’s no legitimate reason in my view why it hasn’t started,” she said. “We’ve advertised the project, and the most cost-effective, responsive bidder was awarded the contract, but this is where we are.”
She noted that while some remote locations, like Jawalla and Philippi, face real challenges such as seasonal changes in river access, the Micobie case does not fall into that category.
The Minister also admitted that the ministry has had its own shortcomings. “Monitoring and evaluation has been one of our weakest areas, and that will be addressed in the next term,” she told the gathering.
Manickchand said the Ministry has tried to work with contractors to get projects completed, but in cases like this, termination is the only reasonable step forward.
It is not yet clear when or how the project will be re-tendered, but for the Micobie community, the wait for a school continues.
