Junior Panorama controversy worsens –Now placed 10th, Santa Maria RC threatens lawsuit

STUNG by the recent turn of events in which their children's school fell from second to tenth and last place in the Primary Schools Panorama competition, parents of students of Santa Maria RC Primary school of Moruga, went to the Ministry of Education in Port of Spain on Thursday, threatening legal action if the latest change remains.

Their visit came three days after a similar visit to the ministry by parents of students of St Mary's Government Primary, also of Moruga, who was originally placed tenth in the competition last Sunday, but whose placing was later changed to second – Santa Maria's original placing.

As a result, Santa Maria was now placed tenth and last, much to the chagrin of the parents who went to the ministry on Thursday.

A media release from the ministry confirmed the new changes to the standings.

The parents claimed that when Santa Maria RC was announced as placing second behind eventual winners Guaico Presbyterian, their students were treated to a motorcade in their home town. Now, however, the latest change has left some of the students in tears as the embarrassment was too much to bear.

Santa Maria RC is said to have a student population of 72 pupils, 29 of whom are in the panside.

The school's PTA vice president Leonar Ottway, told Newsday on Thursday, "On Sunday, the ministry did not put in writing or send an e-mail stating there was a mix-up. On Wednesday, we had a PTA meeting and we asked the principal to reach out to the ministry to get some solid information."

Ottway said she had been hearing rumours that there was a mix-up.

On Tuesday evening, Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore, when contacted by Newsday, confirmed the mix-up, but referred all other queries on the matter to the ministry.

Since Monday, neither minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly nor the ministry's corporate communications department could be reached for further clarification.

The only response from the ministry was a press release on Tuesday evening with the final results which showed St Mary's placing second and Santa Maria, last.

At the ministry offices on Thursday, the PTA president of Santa Maria RC, who gave his name only as Mr Barry, said he was told that the ministry is aware of the situation but that the person in charge, Marcia Peters, "was out on the field."

He said, "I was informed that there was a typical disorder, that entering it on the computer could see a mistake made. That is totally unacceptable because you talking about a national competition. If to make a mistake like that, it better really be a mistake, because we will be pursuing legal action."

Another parent, Frederick Graham, chimed in, "The marks were only entered wrong on this computer from the ministry. It was not entered wrong on the judges' paper at the time of the competition."