Garcia, Daly praise junior panorama

YVONNE WEBB

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia and well-known attorney Martin Daly heaped praise on the performances by students who competed in the National Junior Panorama finals on Sunday at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain.

Garcia who lent a hand in distributing prizes to winners in the Primary School category said he could not help but marvel at the discipline and commitment shown by participants of the 12 primary and nine secondary schools.

The minister told the youths that participation rather than placement was of utmost importance in events like these.

In addition to the students, Garcia who was accompanied by permanent secretary Angela Jervais, also congratulated pan tuners, arrangers, teaching staff and principals for making this year’s competition a success.

Pan tuner for St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph Gerard Clarke, said it was good to see some of the prestige schools involved in the evolution of the steel band.

Now 69, Clarke recalled that as a student of St Mary’s College, he faced expulsion for being involved in a steel band.

“Who would have thought Naparima Girls’ High School, Naparima College, St Joseph’s Convent, Fatima College, St Mary’s and QRC would have steelbands in their schools,” he said.

In Sunday’s competition, St Francois Girls College retained its title for the sixth time, beating the Naparima combined girls and boys team in their debut year into second place and St Joseph’s Convent in the third spot. Providence Girls and QRC combined team placed fourth.

“We tried to form a steel band in St Mary’s College in 1966. The principal was Father Valdez and they said if you don’t take these pans out by tomorrow, you will all be expelled.

Now I am a pan tuner for the same St Mary’s College. I am tuning for most of these colleges. It makes me feel good to see pan has evolved throughout the entire school system.”

Daly, who took in the action from the Grand Stand on Sunday, commented on the gravitation of the schools known for their academic excellence into the steelband arena.

“It is difficult to overestimate the contribution that has made to social cohesion and the future by the fact that communities like the Naparima schools are coming into pan.

When I sit down here today (Sunday) and see people of very different walks of life, enjoying a kind of Intercol atmosphere, that is hugely productive and hopeful for the future,” Daly said.