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Still Waiting for an Apology
"Unjustified Attack on Pan In The Classroom Unit"

Trinidad - Like Mr. Joseph, it is not my desire to engage in banter over these issues, but when misinformation is being peddled, I must clear the air. Again, I must lament that, given the excellent personal relationships with members of Pan Trinbago's Central Executive (as Mr. Joseph acknowledges in his regard), a simple phone call could have cleared up the misconceptions and misunderstandings.

 

It is most unfortunate that, as the Public Relations Officer of Pan Trinbago, Mr. Joseph cannot discern between the Pan In Schools Coordinating Council (a private body comprising teachers that seeks the interests of schools as related to the steelpan) and the Pan In The Classroom Unit (a Unit of the Curriculum Development Division of the Ministry of Education). I trust that this is his personal confusion and not that of the Central Executive of Pan Trinbago.

 

It is also unfortunate that Mr. Joseph issues these releases without being in possession of all the facts. Firstly, I was not in attendance at the meeting to which he refers which was held on Monday, January 15th, 2007 (I assumed duty as Project Coordinator that afternoon), but was present at a subsequent meeting with the Minister of Education, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, as well as the President and Secretary of Pan Trinbago. More of that anon. In any event, the "beef" that Mr. Joseph is apparently articulating is that I treated with a Youth Officer of Pan Trinbago rather than the Secretary of the Organisation. If this is what has caused the Central Executive's consternation, I am man enough to apologise for the unintended slight. These, however are the facts:

 
  • At the meeting to which mr. Joseph refers, the Ministry of Education was informed that the Youth Officers of Pan Trinbago would be their representatives on the Joint Committee planning for the National Junior Panorama 2007;

  • A very cordial meeting of the Joint Committee was held the following day (Tuesday, January 16th), where Pan Trinbago was represented by its Youth Officers. At that meeting, I indicated that I intended to keep the committee together for the planning of the National Junior Steelband Music Festival 2007 and the National Junior Panorama 2008. The next meeting was set for Tuesday, January 23rd.;

  • Pan Trinbago's representatives did not show up for the meeting scheduled for Tuesday 23rd, during the course of that meeting, the Unit began receiving information that Pan Trinbago had begun to contact schools, informing them that they would be hosting their own Junior Panorama and that the ministry of Education might host its own (if that's not disrespect to the Ministry of Education, I don't know what is). I immediately contacted Pan Trinbago and spoke with the Secretary of the Central Executive, who confirmed that this was the case and informed me that the decision was taken because the Executive was disturbed by the events of Monday 15th.;

  • I reported the situation to my superior officers and the Minister of Education invited the President of Pan Trinbago to a meeting on Wednesday, January 24th to discuss the issues. A decision was taken to proceed with the planning and the National Junior Panorama 2007 ran smoothly;

  • At the subsequent planning meetings (for the Junior Panorama) and review meetings (attended by a Youth Officer from Pan Trinbago), I reiterated my intention to keep the committee together to plan for the next two events (Junior Steelband Festival 2007 and Junior Panorama 2008).

At all times, my modus operandi has been predicated on the assumption that representatives of the partner organisations would have briefed their respective organisations on the discussions and decisions taken. I did not, therefore, at any time communicate with the Secretaries of the respective organisations. If Pan Trinbago is offended by this, then mea culpa. Nonetheless, it was incumbent on Pan Trinbago's representative to keep that body apprised and, as I pointed out in my earlier response to Mr. Joseph, such failure points to internal weaknesses in Pan Trinbago and those weaknesses should not be used to justify attacking officials of the Ministry of Education. I should also mention that, immediately upon seeing the previous release, I wrote to the President of Pan Trinbago (on July 12th 2007), naming the Youth Officer who represented Pan Trinbago in planning for the National Junior Steelband Music Festival and asking him to indicate to me if that person was not authorized to represent the organisation and, if not, indicate who was. i am yet to receive a response.

Speaking of the internal weaknesses in Pan Trinbago's reporting structures, by Mr. Joseph's acknowledgement that there was discourse with Pan Trinbago's Youth Officer, he has nullified his assertion in his previous release that the "organisation never collaborated with the Ministry of Education or any of its agents to host a Junior Steel Pan Festival anytime in 2007."  What he should instead have indicated was that the Central Executive of Pan Trinbago was unaware of any collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Further, Mr. Joseph proceeded to use that false premise to attack "officials of the Ministry of Education." Since he claims not to see how that translates into a personal attack, let me connect the dots for him:

  • Every Official in the Ministry of Education knows that the Pan In The Classroom Unit is the body within the Ministry of Education charged with the responsibility for the organisation of the National Junior Steelband Music Festival;

  • Every School Teacher involved with a school steelband knows that the Pan In The Classroom Unit is the body within the Ministry of Education charged with the responsibility for the organisation of the National Junior Steelband Music Festival;

  • Every Official with a Junior Steelband knows that the Pan In The Classroom Unit is the body within the Ministry of Education charged with the responsibility for the organisation of the National Junior Steelband Music Festival; therefore

  • An attack on "officials of the Ministry of Education" who are organising the National Junior Steelband Music Festival is an attack on officials of the Pan In The Classroom Unit;

  • I head the Pan In The Classroom Unit, therefore an attack on that Unit for "choosing to undermine and disrespect Pan Trinbago and its constitution, thereby bringing the Ministry into disrepute" (especially when that attack is based on false information) is an attack on me and the manner in which I lead the Unit.

As I close, let me point out that I have apologised twice in this response for any unintended offense taken by the Central Executive of Pan Trinbago. I still await Pan Trinbago's apology for the unwarranted an unjustified attack on the Pan In The Classroom Unit.

Victor N. Prescod, Project Coordinator, Pan In The Classroom Unit, Curriculum Development Division, Ministry of Education

 

 

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