To: Mr. Russel Providence
Cc: Mrs. Beverley Ramsey-Moore, President of Pan Trinbago
MUST SEE: Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; Mr. Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education
Dear Mr. Russell Providence,
In your capacity as Pan Trinbago's number 1 fan, please permit me to publicly respond to your public letter to ME in my capacity as Education Officer Inc. T.C which was sent on September 4th, 2019 at 1:25PM. Please allow me to enlighten you on the project which WILL begin on Monday 8th September, 2019.
The "Save One Scholarship Programme" is an initiative by Pan Trinbago in collaboration with the New Butler Associate College (NBAC). The aim of the project is to provide a second opportunity to young people who are involved in Culture and Sports between the ages of 15-20 years of age, who were unable to gain a full CXC Certificate (at least 5 subjects) on their first attempt. Every year, the NBAC accommodate approximately sixty (60) students at their headquarters in Port-of-Spain based on recommendations from their Stakeholders (i.e Sport and Cultural Organizations).
Due to the success of the NBAC over the years, there are many young people who were recommended by the Stakeholders. Consequently, it was necessary that the organization stretch to another location. Please note the following:-
- The NBAC has opened another center through the permission granted by the management of Curepe Scherzando to make this possible.
- Through the opening of the new center, Pan Trinbago and the NBAC came together with a proposal to offer twenty (20) scholarships to young persons in the Steelband community to get a second opportunity at CSEC (CXC).
In light of the aforementioned, please allow me to answer your questions as they came.
Firstly, your suspicion of children who are between the ages of 15-17 still being in school attempting CXC for the first time is baseless as there was 1 applicant fifteen years of age, 4 applicants that were sixteen years of age, and 9 applicants that were seventeen years of age received thus far (in less than 48 hours). Let us all remember that there are students that do drop out of school due to various circumstances that we can all allow our minds to come up with.
Secondly, what difference does it make between saying "limited spaces available" rather than "twenty spaces are available" and how will specifying the number impact on the applicants coming forward to register?
Thirdly, your question regarding evidence that children in pan are not doing as well as those who are not involved in pan is rather mischievous, malicious, pernicious, cancerous, acrimonious and distasteful if I may react to such a question. A question like that shows that there is much to learn about Steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago and as the Education Officer, I am here to help anyone who needs it.
To put the icing on the cake, the email which was sent out on the 2nd September, 2019 with an expected favorable response by the 4th September, 2019 has reached its target within less than 48 hours. I will not blame the membership, but rather thank them for taking it to their respective members and ensuring that they were given an opportunity to apply for the scholarship. Additionally, while there were only space for twenty students, I would like to thank the NBAC for accommodating the extra students which applied as there were almost forty students who were interested in receiving a second chance at CXC.
In closing, I wish all participants well in this upcoming term, and I do hope to see a brighter future for our youths in Steelpan and by extension, Trinidad and Tobago.
BEST REGARDS,
Marcus Ash
Education Officer of Pan Trinbago Inc. T.C
Replies
Monday 9th September, 2019
I am NEVER EVER DEFENDING MARCUS ASH anymore on THIS FORUM!!!
The man come and "cc" everybody in HIGH RANKING PLACES with this posting and he leave out ME and MERRYTONESTOTHEBONE like if we is NOBODY!!!
Marcus: If you want me to continue to defend you on THIS FORUM, make sure that you "cc" me and merrytonestothebone in every communication from today forward.
Marcus: I might appear abrasive in my commentary, but my feelings are easily hurt. So please "cc" me too in the future!!!
No no Claude I received the correspondence via my gmail account on behalf of the band...I just ignored it because it didn't carry enough information. Hence my reference to paragraphs 2 and 3 above...Under no circumstances were we going to respond to the original "invitation"...
MTB: I am talking about this posting above. If yuh name in it -- I apologize!!!
To: Mr. Russel Providence
Cc: Mrs. Beverley Ramsey-Moore, President of Pan Trinbago
MUST SEE: Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; Mr. Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education
Oh...ok...my bad...Like ah tryin' to buy fight...lol...He must be eh ready for we yet...We views not too important...
I doh have no STEELBAND so I am not in THE LOOP for anybody to "cc" me!!!
But yuh make ah good read (observation): Ah have ah PARDNER (ah eh calling no name) in the battle now ... so ah buying fight!!!
All these years ah FIGHT ALONE -- yuh know ah in HEAVEN NOW ....
But between you and me and everybody else who feel to care...The Education Officer's response is very inimical of T&T autocracy. Instead of recognising that he erred in delivering the information, he want to "put people dey rightful place" for making him out...Everything have to be a battle and a politicking...I could never understand we sometimes...
... meanwhile up in AMERICA ... a bunch of WHITE MEN (highly educated WHITE MEN) got together (as a team) to TEACH PAN (to the world) and market their UNITY at https://weteachpan.org/ -- while we are embroiled in " a battle and a politicking" ... this is why we need PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP in PAN TRINBAGO!!!
Mr Ash...In my humble opinion if paragraphs 2 and 3 had accompanied your letter of invitation, it would have saved much confusion.