Construction of the Monkey Mountain Secondary School in Region Eight is around one year behind schedule, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) said yesterday.
In June 2024, K’s Trucking & Construction was awarded a contract valued at $208 million for the construction of the school. The project was scheduled for nine months, with completion expected in early 2025, WIN said. Since then, the value of the project has increased to $490 million following the award of additional contracts for dormitory and support facilities, the main opposition party said.
Despite the increased investment and the promises made to residents, the project failed to meet its intended deadline. The September 2025 deadline was pushed to December 2025, then to April 2026, and it is still not completed, the party stated.
WIN called on the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour to ensure the Monkey Mountain Secondary School is completed.
On July 1, 2024, then Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand turned the sod for the construction of the school.
The Monkey Mountain Secondary School is expected to cater to the educational needs of students from Monkey Mountain, Taruka and Tuseneng in Potaro-Siparuni. The complex will host a teachers’ quarters and a small dormitory for the children of Taruka and Tuseneng.
Manickchand highlighted the importance of the new school, stating that it will alleviate the burden on existing educational facilities such as Paramakatoi by accommodating around 250 secondary-aged children.
These students have had to travel significant distances to access secondary education, often facing logistical challenges due to the limited availability of schools in the region.
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