As preparations are underway for the opening of school for the 2025-2026 academic year, a new proposal is now on the cards for the introduction of pan.
According to Cabinet Spokesperson Maurice Merchant, the Minister responsible for culture and the arts, Daryll Matthew made the proposal to Cabinet this week.
It was approved.
“As it relates to schools, the schools to be reopened very soon, the Minister of Culture, the Minister for Festivals, announced that he put forward a proposal and cabinet agreed to provide resources to have more schools involved in pan,the music program in schools.”
“Government agreed that it will provide resources for developing the steel pan aspect of schools in Antigua and Barbuda,” Merchant said.
Further details on this new initiative will be shared in the future.
I hope this isn’t just talk. Resources are good, but we need proper teachers and instruments too.
It’s nice that the government is supporting the arts, but I hope it’s not only limited to urban schools.
This is awesome. Teach our children our culture. BTW, is home economics still being taught? If not please consider bringing it back. Teach our children how to cook, wash, clean, etiquette, and budgeting – basically taking care of a home- investing among other things. God knows somebody needs to.
We certainly cant afford to let the pan culture die. Like we embrace soca we should do the same with pan.
Love this! Introducing steel pan in schools is a great way to preserve our culture.