IT WAS colour and more colour yesterday as the Ministry of Education realized its grandest Children’s Mashramani Parade ever, with forty floats (one for each year of independence), and hundreds of children taking to the streets of Georgetown, leaving bystanders literally gawping in  admiration at the spectacle they presented.
Moving off as usual from the Promenade Gardens at around 10:00h, the children made their way east on Middle Street, north into Camp Street, east again into Lamaha Street and on to the National Park for the grand finale.
The secondary and primary schools got started from the Promenade Gardens, while the younger ones from the nursery division caught up with the parade at Camp Street, all the while wowing onlookers with their creative and innovative costumes.
Themes ranged from ‘The Beauty of Angels’ and ‘Build a Future out of Our Heritage’ to ‘Folk Legends’ and ‘Forest Conservation’.
However, the Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) was the most popular concept on display in the parade.
Regardless their costume concept each school managed to emphasize this year’s theme ‘Embracing our Diversity, Celebrating our Heritage’. Schools from out-of-town combined efforts and presented at the National Park their innovations under the banners of their respective Department of Education. The other schools in Georgetown and Region Four (Demerara/ Mahaica) came out under their schools. During the parade, the children visibly enjoyed tramping to the music as they swayed their bodies in sync with the beat. The teachers, on the other hand, were kept busy keeping the smaller ones especially in check as they made their way to the National Park.
Once there the children all flounced and bounced around the tarmac so they could be adjudged as to who had the best outfit.
Reinforcing the ‘40’ concept were 40 teenage girls from North Georgetown Secondary School whose dance moves and acrobatics had the crowd at the National Park going crazy.
By day’s end, the children had all managed to affect the atmosphere with the spirit and fervor of Mashramani.
Administrator of the Education Ministry’s Allied Arts Unit, Ms. Desiree Wyles-Ogle, defined the children’s foray as spectacular.
“It was a beautiful parade,” she said. The turnout was impressive, and the atmosphere carnival-like. “The participation was grand…There was tremendous improvements,” Wyles-Ogle said, adding that response in general was laudable.
“We want to foster a sense of pride in out National identity,” she posited.
Asked what he thought of this year’s event, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, said it was nothing but impressive.
“Some of the costumes here can rival some of adults’ in terms of their creativity…We had excellent presentations,” he said.