I hope that steelbands and steelband leaders are prioritizing the January 2020 CSEC examination as much as they are focusing on the monetary returns that their young members can earn them for five (5) months of panorama.
I want to encourage members of steelbands preparing for 2020 panorama competitions who may also be preparing for these exams, to prioritize your future, and to spend more time revising for your exams than rehearsing "A PANORAMA TUNE". Put the same effort into your schoolwork as you put into perfecting the execution of a panorama arrangement.
As I wrote previously, the majority of children, who unfortunately make up the majority of the majority of single, small and medium bands are UNDERPERFORMING in their academics, and (some) steelband leaders DO NOT CARE. What steelband leaders seem to care about most, is that these children are regular, punctual and disciplined in their approach to A PANORAMA ARRANGEMENT, six (6) to eight (8) minutes of glory, THAT MOST MAY NEVER REMEMBER (and will never play again) AS TIME PROGRESSES.
I suggested to a steelband that the grades of band members still at school should be examined at the end of each term, and those found to be deficient should be suspended from steelband activities, not the panyard, until a measurable improvement is noticeable. Water on a duck's back!
How do we expect to develop the human capital of the steelband fraternity to function effectively and efficiently in a global environment where virtuosity is insufficient to navigate the road to success?
Pan Trinbago and the officer responsible for it's education portfolio has clearly demonstrated that they have no interest in the academic development of children in steelbands outside of Port of Spain. Most of the children in steelbands are children resident outside of the city of Port of Spain, as the city of Port of Spain is blessed with a surplus of adult pan talent.
A word to the wise is sufficient.
Replies
The CENTRAL PROMISE made by BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE during her ELECTION CAMPAIGN was turning PANYARDS into CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE where she was going to serve in a combined role of MINISTER OF EDUCATION and MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and MINISTER OF HEALTH and MINISTER OF TOURISM and MINISTER OF SOCIAL SERVICES -- ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE.
But in actuality, she is only functioning as MINISTER OF PANORAMA!!!
I have stated before (many times on THIS FORUM) that EVERY SOCIETY evolves at its own pace. Upon reflecting on his failed presidency, OBAMA said to one of his former advisers: "Maybe I was 20 years before my time!"
Well, your ideas (submitted above) are 50 (FIFTY) years before their time!!!
Not to go off on a tangent here, but why was Obama’s a failed presidency? No need to respond, sir, but I concur with RP’s offering.
Pan Trinbago has become a single annual event manager.
bugs
How do we expect to develop the human capital of the Steelband fraternity to function effectively and efficiently in a global environment where virtuosity is insufficient to navigate the road to success?
I lifted this off a draft report executive summary no plagiarism intended...
As computing continues to have an outsized impact on the global economy and on society more broadly, scholars and concerned citizens are coming together to examine and enhance public awareness about its consequences – both positive and negative. The preparation of digitally-sophisticated knowledge workers and informed citizens requires that education initiatives address not only the upside of computing innovations and their rapid adoption, but also the development of critical thinking skills that help ensure that the downsides – such as those associated with digital surveillance, digitally encoded bias, and anti-trust regulations to name but a few – are explored, understood and adequately mitigated.
The New Vision for Education