Angry Sando Mayor storms out graduation

SAN FERNANDO Mayor, Ian Atherly, angrily stormed out of yesterday’s graduation ceremony at Naparima Girls’ High School after not being acknowledged at the head table by the Master of Ceremonies or the school principal. The incident took place in full view of Presbyterian Church Moderator, Reverend Rawle Sukhu, and chairman of the Presbyterian Secondary Schools Board of Education Harry Partap (UNC MP for Nariva) and scores of shocked parents and students. The outspoken San Fernando mayor, who had in August declared his position as that of a “ceremonial idiot” unless given greater autonomy, told Newsday his attendance at the graduation had been requested by school officials and he was invited in an official capacity.

Atherly said after both the Master of Ceremonies and school principal Patricia Ramgoolam failed to acknowledge his presence at the head table, he got up and left the function to the amazement of those present. Atherly said he used the unexpected free time to get some personal chores done. Efforts to reach Ramgoolam yesterday proved futile. Meanwhile, Presbyterian Secondary Schools Board of Education chairman, Harry Partap, side- stepped the Atherly issue and instead complimented the school for the “high level of academic superiority” in capturing the highest number of scholarships in its history this year.

“I am told that this is the highest number of scholarships won by this school and it is the fifth year that this school has been leading the colleges in our nation,” Partap said. He noted that the Board’s five colleges had also secured 68 of the 200 Open and Additional scholarships offered this year. “In other words, the five Presbyterian secondary schools took 34 percent of the National scholarships,” he said. However, Partap who was a former UNC labour minister, said the “disparity in funding” between public and denominational schools was “painfully obvious”. “Our principals and teachers will be able to do so much more if the principles of fairness are also applied in government’s funding of denominational secondary schools,” he said.