Several high schools say no participation in Carnival

Will high school students participate in the carnival? The answer is still not known, and organizers of the mas bands are running out of time. According to Organizer of Jump Street Posse, Marina Welcome, a large number of her members are students from Excelsior High School who have received letters informing them that they could not participate in the bacchanal. She says the band has been preparing all summer and she has invested thousands of dollars in costuming. Welcome says her chances to put off a quality show are in jeopardy and she is pleading to the Ministry of Education to do something.

Duane Moody
“Miss Marina, it’s soon going to be a week and no response as to whether a large number of your members will actually get to participate in this year’s carnival.”

Marina Welcome, Organizer, Jump Street Posse
“Well up to now as we are speaking, I haven’t got any kind of results, any kind of phone call, anything at all from no body stating what’s going on with the school children. And it’s so weird, you know; because carnival is fun for the kids, keep them off the streets and if the kids cannot take part in carnival then pretty soon there won’t be any carnival.”

Duane Moody
“What is the justification to why the administration of Excelsior high school don’t want the kids to be performing in the carnival?”

Marina Welcome
“I haven’t the faintest idea to tell you the truth. I always have kids from all over the school A.C.C., well since last year A.C.C. had penalized their kids, but I think their one is implemented in the rules now. As far as I know about Excelsior it supposed to not be in their rule book. It was just out of the blue mas camp night that I was informed that the kids cannot take part in carnival.”

Duane Moody
“I know you spent a lot of money and in what way is it going to waste?

Marina Welcome
“Well, I hope it don’t go to waste, but I’m good for over twenty-five thousand dollars right now. They don’t have to worry about the dress code of the kids, because I reassure you, they are properly, properly attired. But we need help, we need desperate help.”

When News Five contacted NICH Director, Diane Haylock, she said that she has been trying to get in contact with the M.O.E. to get a decision. According to Haylock, Excelsior High is a governmental high school so a decision would have to be made by the ministry. A number of private schools do not allow their students to participate in the event.