Another teachable moment in schools’ sports

Schools’ sports have been hit with yet another low blow, added to the list of faux pas and miscues.

The latest to be registered in the book of transgressions is the eventual deferring of the final of the Scotia Bank Under-15 Cricket Competition, which was set for last Wednesday at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field.

However, prior to the postponement, the competition was thrown into chaos, after it was questioned, then confirmed, that one of the finalists, the St Martin’s Secondary, had featured players who were past the stipulated eligible age for participation.

No one would readily point a finger and say that it was a deliberate, dishonest act on the part of those responsible for selecting the St Martin’s School team.

Having reached the final, which would have set up a meeting with the St Vincent Grammar School, the discovery led to the withdrawal of the offending St Martin’s Secondary School.

The reconfigured final would have featured Georgetown Secondary (the whistle-blowers), who were beaten by St Martin’s in the semi-finals and the St Vincent Grammar School.

Considering all that had transpired, no one solution would have been perfect to retrieve the situation.

But it also stands to reason that it was not only the Georgetown Secondary who would have suffered from the offending school’s unfair advantage.

Should not those schools which faced the St Martin’s Secondary in the preliminary phase, be too, similarly aggrieved?

Did the organizers explore the option of making all matches played by the St Martin’s Secondary null and void, as an alternative route?

In the dispensing of awards, what impact would St Martin’s have on the statistics, both for and against, if their punishment comes at the semi-final stage only?

Whilst the management and those concerned at the St Martin’s Secondary School may have erred in ensuring that the ages are calculated correctly, the issues sink deeper.

Not condoning what transpired, but it meshes well with the general image that persons have of what masquerades as a well-managed schools’ sports programme.

Hence, the subsequent revelations represent a slap in the face for those in the Ministry of Education, National Reconciliation and Ecclesiastical Affairs, who are charged with the responsibility of administering such competitions.

Surely, there was the absence of cross-checking and verification of the ages and other database perusals.

This is notwithstanding the fact that teachers’ integrity is at stake, as they have taken the moral levels to rock bottom.

Unfortunately, many principals are caught in the bind, as they are sometimes required to affix their signature to entry forms, which gives verification to the information submitted to the respective organizers.

Such actions (intentional or otherwise), by those who are labelled as the moral catalysts of our nation, reflect a turn for the worse – our society has diverted.

There are many instances of cheating recorded at schools’ competitions, with little punitive measures taken against the guilty parties.

Amidst that, some responsibility and blame lie at the feet of personnel of some educational institutions; in the same breath, this column has been forever lamenting about the institutionalized incompetence which exists among the policymakers and those holding positions of authority, with reference to schools sports.

Far too often have the ministry’s officials shown to be inefficient in their mode of operations, thus reflecting poorly on the entire government apparatus.

Unchecked for some time now, the train of ineptitude has lost its bearing and is heading to a destination of destruction.

Therefore, the time is ripe and presents itself opportune, for the relevant higher authorities to take another look at the way competitions in the schools are managed and executed.

It is also a perfect avenue for the streamlining of some policies and getting rid of the anomalies which exist.

And, most importantly, this requires a shake-up of sorts, and putting in place those with the knowledge and the proper inter-personal attributes to lead the revival and new course for school sports here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.