Our children deserve better
Editorial
Stabroek News
March 13, 2004
Now that the curtains have truly come down on this year's Mashramani celebrations, with the awarding of prizes and trophies in the adult costume, design and other competitions, one would hope that a post mortem would have also been done or is about to be done. For with all the claims of success, more participation and bigger and better than last year, there are always lessons to be learnt, things that with hindsight could have been done differently. For it is only when one takes into consideration the things that were not done as well as they should that one can allow for improvements in times to come.
And since the Children's Mashramani festivities finished at least one week earlier than the adults', perhaps there have already been suggestions as to how these activities could be improved. Unlike the adult events, the children's featured more performances and had a wider reach. During early February, the children's dance, dramatic poetry, physical display and costume competitions were run off mainly at the National Cultural Centre and the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
It seemed that enough consideration was not given to the number of children that would be involved from the nursery, primary and secondary levels. The result was chaos. The nursery and primary dance and physical display competitions were held at the Sports Hall. At these events, apart from the children taking part in the competitions, schools were given a specific number of tickets that would allow them to take along a stated number of children to cheer their peers along. However, what obtained was that countless older children showed up at the gates and were allowed to pay a fee and enter. As a result, the Sports Hall was overcrowded. All of the seats were filled and children then took up positions in the aisles as well as on the court where the dances were being performed.
At this point, the wise person(s) manning the doors of the Sports Hall shut them, perhaps to ensure that on one else could enter. It was a recipe for disaster, which fortunately did not occur. The body heat in the Sports Hall soared and with it the stench of perspiring young bodies. But one shudders to think of what might have happened if a fire or pandemonium had broken out. In addition, despite commentaries in this newspaper's sports pages and assurances from the management, there was no running water; the Sports Hall's taps were dry.
Because of the chaotic situation, there were long gaps between performances and one wonders that the children, some of whom were dressed in their costumes from 8 am, were still able to remember their steps as the afternoon wore on. But they did their teachers and parents proud and must be applauded for what could only be described as their consummate professionalism in executing their performances under such poor conditions.
Our children put their hearts and souls into making these events pleasurable. They deserve better. Come on organisers, you can and must do better than this. It is not enough to keep saying that Mash has grown, while you appear to stagnate.
Starting next year, the competitions ought to be further separated with the nursery, primary and secondary children appearing on different days. More venues should be used. Is the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue still a viable venue? If it is it should be used. If not, there is enough time for rehabilitation. Limited tickets should be sold. Overcrowding of venues poses a danger, and small children are at greater risk of being hurt or killed in a stampede. The physical displays could be done at open-air sites, since there are no acoustics involved. The Police Sports Club Grounds and the YMCA are two possibilities.
It is hoped that these would have been some of the issues addressed in the children's Mash post mortem and that things are about to change. It would be a pity if schools and parents were forced to withdraw their children from these competitions, where their talent and creativity come to the fore, because of poor organisation.