Minister of Education Dr. Michael Dowlath has declared the 2026 National Schools’ Panorama Finals a success.
Speaking to TTT News at Skinner Park on Monday, the Minister noted that moves are being made to ensure music, specifically the steelpan, is accessible to all students.
As both Primary and Secondary Schools played their final notes at the Skinner Park stage, Minister Dowlath declared the entire event, a first in San Fernando, to be a success.
“We’ve had a fantastic turnout, we’ve had ten schools that are coming up at the Secondary School level. We’ve had thirty-two primary schools, who entered the preliminaries, and we had finals with twelve of them. We had the Eshe special school that was a special guest today, which was fantastic. And that shows that children, no matter what their learning challenges, that pan can be that common element that will bring them out and allow them to have the same kind of camaraderie and fun. So today was a wonderful success. It’s continuing. The students have had a great time, the parents, the supporters, and the environment here, in San Fernando at Skinner Park has been a fantastic venue.”
Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Phillip Alexander, who was also present, praised the event.
“I mean, the energy was just off the charts. Everybody, the supporters from the schools, when each man went up to play, to watch all the families and the teachers and stuff come to the edge of the line and cheering, the whole energy was amazing. As Dr Dowlath said, I mean, they’ve erased the boundaries that pan is in north, pan is for everybody, pan is Trinidad and Tobago.”
Going forward, Minister Dowlath outlined his plans to place the steelpan in the forefront of the school curriculum — from pre-school to secondary school — so that students will be able to express their intelligence in multiple ways.
“So, it is a motivating factor. You know good it is when you play pan, you know that you can come to school to do what you like, to have fun, and we also want to make it as a part of the assessment process. So you are getting marks in the term exams by playing pan and music.”
Holy Faith Convent Penal took home the trophy and bragging rights in the Secondary Schools category, while St. Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School once again tasted victory in the Primary Schools category.