Trinidad Express Newspapers
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Pan Trinbago has been awarded a contract by the Ministry of Education to supply, deliver, install and commission pan ensembles to 25 schools.
....Pan Trinbago was also contracted to supply and fulfil a five-year maintenance agreement for the servicing of the ensembles of 118 schools—107 in Trinidad and 11 in Tobago.
The contract, valued at [TT] $8,934,263, was awarded to the pan body on September 3 after the organisation responded to the ministry’s invitation to tender.
In his speech, Diaz said this new development was another way forward for the organisation in achieving self-sustainability.
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We finally have BUSINESS MEN running PAN TRINBAGO -- Boogsie should be happy!!!
Cecic H,
Forgive me for asking what may be a foolish question,are there really pan factories in Africa?
There has been a steelpan factory in Nigeria for a few years now.
Check this http://ning.it/16z2vtW
Kudos to PT!!! Forward Ever, Backward Never!!! Let's hope all aspects including the history of the steelpan and the movement are included as part of the "teachings"...
In the family of Percussion, which the Steel Pan folds under. Why the Engine Room and the instruments are never taken into consideration? Without the Engine Room and the tutoring we continue to "spin top in mud".
Someone please answer this question.
Very true Kenneth ...every school should have a drum kit and percussion instuments as well
SAT-NAM{I SALUTE THE TRUTH IN YOU}! It Is an OK start....but the negotiation should have been for a 'Permanent' Contractual Agreement for these initial 25 Schools,with:-A minimum $10,000 per month{*$250 per hour/*2 hours per day/ 5 days per week},***10 months per year{$100,000 Annually}>>>Per "Qualified' "Pan-Tutor"/Arranger...*PER SCHOOL! *Of course this is Separate from the already 'Salaried' Music-Teacher,who will be handling:-Theory/Assorted:Instruments/ Percussion...etc!***So,daily...for 2 hours after 'regular' school hours>>>"PAN",will be the full focus of our Children!
*NOW:-If we talkin' Initial Five-Year Plan...then:-*Re-evaluate/*Re-negotiate/*'Rotate' Tutors/*Add Schools,etc,etc.,OK, But,to start with:-TT $8,934,263 FOR 25 SCHOOLS..OVER 5 YEARS,IS NOT ADEQUATE!*GIVE OUR 'QUALIFIED':- ARTISANS{"Producers of Distinctive,Hidh-Quality Products"}& TUTORS..THE FULLEST FINANCIAL RESPECT!!!
$1 MILLION PER SCHOOL,FOR THE INITIAL 5 YEARS{50 percent for PANS/STANDS/STICKS,etc;& 50 percent for the Tutor..@ $10K per month}...will be money well invested!!!
*25 Million T&T Dollars,Awarded to 25 T&T Schools{over a 5-year period}>for the benefit & uplift of THOUSANDS OF T&T CHILDREN...AND:-The Employment of T&T TUTORS/'ARRANGERS,ARTISANS{'SINKERS'/TUNERS}...PLUS:-Chroming of Pans,et al>>>AGAIN:-WILL BE MONEY WELL INVESTED!!!***DON'T 'SKIMP'>>'UN-USED MONIES',WILL 'CARRY- OVER' INTO ENSUING YEARS...OR CAN BE APPLIED TO A SPECIAL ANNUAL CONCERT BY PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS! *The 'Maintenance/Servicing of the 118 School-Ensembles...is a Wonderful thing:-but,a Separate Contractual issue! Pan-Trinbago...All Success>>>& PLEASE:-Ensure that there is no Vengeful 'BIAS',in selecting those who will fulfill these Contracts!!! Get a Consensus of Willing,Qualified Individuals/Companies...& draw Ballots,for as Equitable a Distribution of 'work' as possible...to employ as many properly-salaried people possible,re allocated Funds!
ASE! A SE! ASE-O! ONE LOVE! ONE PAN-FAMALY!!! Val Serrant,External Relations:-Parry's Pan School,Tacarigua.
First of all any positive achievement regarding the Pan is a good development regardless of who or where it comes from. It is high time that the Pan in School program truly becomes a reality. Now it has been introduced in the public schools before since 2005. However there were ‘alleged corruptions’ in terms of who was responsible for establishing and overseeing the program. This in the first part involved contracting personnel to manufacture the Pans and seeing that the Pans were distributed to the respective schools. But the other parts of tutoring was another problem, even though there were Steelpan text books to ensure that the Pan be taught as a subject, yet this was not accomplished in the manner it should have been. There are quite a few reasons for this. I would like to offer some suggestions
MANUFACTURE:
(1) The First part of having the Pans in the schools should require a standard set of Pans for all school ( Standardization). There have been some works done on this since 2005 so that might be OK . It should be revisited to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
(2) There should be a quality control centre where the Pans from the Tuners should first pass through to see if it ‘passes’ the test of Quality and style.
(3) Pan Accessories (Pan stands, Pan Sticks etc..) should also be subjected to the quality control.
(4) There should be transparency in awarding the contracts to Pan Tuners or manufacturers. (Tenders should be submitted)
(5) A plan of upkeeping the Pans and accessories should also be in place
TUTORING:
(1) The Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Education has to be serious in terms of having the pan program embedded into the curriculum and not just as an extra-curricular activity.
(2) The Tutors therefore have to be qualified.
(3) A syllabus has to be established so that all tutors are working from the same framework.
(4) Steelpan Textbooks should be available with the same concept of Tender from the respective authors or producers.
(5) Junior Panorama competition is good for Pan but the school program should not be geared towards that. It should only be a part of the syllabus.
(6) The emphasis in the schools should of course be music literacy which should include (reading, writing, composing arranging, improvising) All in guided steps along the programs from Elementary to secondary … there should be continuity.(Technique of playing the Pan should also be included).
In conclusion, Trinidad and Tobago should be setting the stage for this development in the Caribbean by ensuring that this program becomes successful so that it could be exported to the other Caricom countries in the first phase. Secondly it should then seek to have it as part of the regional CXC exams. I am hopefull that Pan Trinbago would seize this opportunity and do the right thing. They have everything to gain from this venture and should approach if from a professional standpoint. In this light I wish them the very best.
Salah Wilson
Salah, is Pan Trinbago the most equipped organization in Trinidad and Tobago to carry out this initiative? Are we so jaded that people are really congratulating Pan Trinbago because they won a bid? Maybe we should be afraid, very afraid that given Pan Trinbago's history and track record that the government could find no better organization than Pan Trinbago . Then again maybe this is exactly what the government wants.
bugs
Bugs, I have my doubts and concerns about first the Government and the intentions of the Government and likewise the orgaization that won the bid. The fact however is that they won the bid and is now in contol of that project. I have therefore just tried to offer some common sense suggestions with the hope that common sense and logic will prevail ....... time will tell .. as usual
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