Of course carnival wouldn’t be carnival without a controversy. This year it is about certain high schools refusing to allow their students to dance in the road march. Bandleader for Jump Street Posse Marina Wellcome and Carnival Association President Patrick Thompson told us that the news is distressing.
Marina Wellcome, Band Leader – Jump Street Posse
“They are sending out memos to the schools that the kids cannot dance carnival and that is a problem because if we don’t have the kids in carnival, and they are all school children, what can we do. So I hope Patrick Faber you are hearing this, you are listening to me, we need the kids for carnival, they have to be somewhere.”
Keith Swift,
“You’re saying that kids are receiving letters at schools telling them they cannot dance carnival?”
Marina Wellcome,
“That’s right.”
Keith Swift,
“Is there a reason why?”
Marina Wellcome,
“I don’t know but today I was informed that Excelsior, the kids they cannot dance carnival. We have a problem already with ACC, they cannot dance carnival.”
Keith Swift,
“Who this letter came from?”
Marina Wellcome,
“Well they said it today in a meeting. I don’t know where the letter came from and that is why I am appealing to the Minister of Education. If the kids cannot dance carnival then we won’t have a junior band because they are all school kids.”
Patrick Thompson, Carnival Association President
“We have been aware of it from last year and this year the association is planning on trying to get a meeting with the principal’s association where we would present our case to them about the children in the carnival.”
We spoke to the principal of Anglican Cathedral College, one of the high schools named in the interview – and he told us it is nothing new. He says it is school policy and only the board can change. He stressed that they aren’t against carnival – it is just the rules.
