by Gerard Mendez
Gerard Mendez
Over two months now, all but a couple employees (most of whom are Pannists), from the Multicultural Music Programme Unit (MMPU), a facet of the Ministry of Education (MOE), formally known as Pan In The Classroom Project Unit (PITCU), have had their contracts ended with no word on renewal. It is estimated to have a financial negatively impact on 60 families on the lead up to Christmas. In addition, principals, stakeholders and service providers have been complaining, for almost two years now, for money being owed for Junior Panorama 2020. Why is it that all seems to be lost in the last three years for the ones who choose to live by or be involved with the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago? Could it just be that the custodians of the instrument are not seeking the interests of the pan people they were elected to protect? Where is Pan Trinbago’s education Officer Marcus Ash and the president of Pan Trinbago Beverly Ramsey Moore? Why are they silent on these matters? Do they care Pan in schools are in danger?
The information out there is that there are a number of issues surrounding the employees of that MMPU. At present they are home and frustrated as there are little or no employment opportunities for musicians at this time. The parang sessions, slow. Carnival and Panorama, nonexistent. Events, few and far between. This is not the time one can afford to be out of a job as a music educator. A job some have been employed in for over 15 years in the unit. To add insult to injury, many of these instructors are owed by the Ministry for different things. Arrears, backpay, gratuity as far back as 2012, all of which the Ministry of Education has not paid. The unit went through a huge transformation in the last two years. Retraining and retooling the instructors to operate and teach virtually. Principals, teachers and students were all pleased with the delivery as they all know the importance of music education, especially for primary school children. Persons from the unit believe the minister, Gadsby-Dolly is not aware of what is going on with them and would like her to step in and save the music.
Junior Panorama 2020 is leaving a bitter taste in service providers mouth as money owed has not been paid. Judges, maxis, trucks, caterers, tuners, arrangers etc have been lobbying for their money and the MOE has not honour the end of the contracts to date. Service providers are now pledging to not offer their services again, which is making fewer and fewer businesses want to be involved with events surrounding the instrument. The MMPU, together with Pan Trinbago and Pan in Schools Coordinating Council, are in charge of coordinating the yearly event. However, the Ministry of Education is responsible for financing it. Junior calypso, junior chutney and mas has no issues but the disrespect of the national instrument continues in Trinidad and Tobago. As all 60 instructors and hundreds of people affected by Junior panorama 2020 struggle to get representation to bring relief to these matters, the question everyone keeps asking is, where is Pan Trinbago and why are they silent?
Mr. Diaz, the president of Pan Trinbago in 2012, made sure that Tim Gopeesingh kept pan in schools. Under Mr Gopeesing, they changed from the name PITCU to MMPU, but the pannists were rehired. It is unfortunate that Mrs Ramsey Moore insists to stay in office without an election but continue to do nothing for pannist. Trinidad is now witnessing pan being incorporated in schools all over the world while it is dying in schools of its birth, Trinidad and Tobago.
Replies
According to the Constitution of Pan Trinbago - Article 4- Objectives - I do not think the it mentions Pan Trinbago as being "the custodians of the instrument seeking the interests of the pan people they were elected to protect".
Regarding the question: "Do they care Pan in schools are in danger?" Well, logically thinking, the answer is probably in the category "not positive".
As to the question: "Where is Pan Trinbago and why are they silent?" Check out John Lennon's "There will be no answer...let it be".
Of ocurse, if individual panmen/pan women formed themselves into a Musicians' Union - well that might mean "cultural sedition" so I will not say more..
But MR. MENDEZ -- You are the one who PUT BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE in POWER and gave her the platform to destroy all the entities that you are currently referring to.
I warned THIS FORUM over and over coming up to that last election that BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE was POISON FOR PAN.
The truth is that there is only one way to get BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE out of PAN TRINBAGO -- and that is THE USE OF FORCE. Otherwise, PAN IN TRINIDAD is NOT ONLY IN DANGER -- it is DEAD!!!
And FYI: PAN being incorporated in schools all over the world is a very old story ... that has been happening for decades.
MR. MENDEZ:What you should be doing is GETTING BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE out of that office BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.