This year $11.8 billion have been allocated to the education sector and spending would include $7.5 billion in the Basic Education Access and Management Systems (BEAMS) project to upgrade, extend, rehabilitate and construct primary, secondary and multilateral schools.

The Primary Education Improvement Project (PEIP) closes this year and BEAMS succeeds it. A key component of the new project will address schools' performance, including student assessment and testing, curriculum development, innovative technologies, teacher preparation and in-service training and a comprehensive education management information system.

Finance Minister, Saisnarine Kowlessar said the Secondary School Reform Project would also be intensified this year. He told the National Assembly during the national budget presentation yesterday that the government has budgeted $645 million to be spent on the construction and rehabilitation of 20 schools including Charlestown Secondary, Paramakatoi Community High, New Amsterdam Multilateral, Kwakwani Community High, Anna Regina Multilateral, Bartica Secondary and Port Kaituma Community High.

Work would also continue under the UK-funded Guyana Economic Advancement Project (GEAP) valued at $4.1 billion and the Canada-supported Guyana Basic Education Training Project costing some $975 million.

Kowlessar said the government was engaged in discussion with the Caribbean Development Bank for a technical and vocational training project that was likely to cost $2 billion. It was also pursuing an early childhood education care and development project to be jointly funded by the government, the department for international development and UNICEF.

Further, Kowlessar said, $380 million had been provided from government resources to construct and/or refurbish educational facilities such as the North Ruimveldt Multilateral, Tutorial High, St Gabriel's Primary, St Stanislaus College, Kingston Nursery, St Sidwell's Primary, Wallaba Primary, De Willem Nursery, Mahaicony Secondary, Moleson Creek Primary, Waramadong Secondary, Mahdia Secondary, Kaikumbay Primary and Watooka Day Primary schools. The dormitory at Wakapoa Primary School is also to be worked on.

Kowlessar said a further $800 million has been allocated to expand and equip both campuses of the University of Guyana, complete the laboratory at the new Amsterdam Technical Institute, provide additional facilities at the National Library, purchase furniture and equipment for schools throughout the country and develop and print more textbooks for primary and secondary schools.