House to Vote On Department Of Education

The House of Representatives is debating a bill, approved by a large margin in the Senate, to establish a separate Department of Education Although the bill is being delayed by numerous amendments, representatives expect by tomorrow a close vote that could go either way.

On April 30, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 72 to 21, but in the House there remains controversy over both the merits of the bill itself and over several unfriendly floor amendments that have been accepted by the House.

Proponents of the bill (HR2444) include the Carter administration, the National Education Association (NEA), the National Library Association, the United Auto Workers and other labor unions. Using statistics from the President's Office of Management and Budget, the supporters say the bill would streamline current educational activities by saving upwards of $100 million a year.

In response to unfavorable comparisons with the Department of Energy reorganization of 1977, supporters point to provisions in the bill that require the department to get Congressional approval for the creation of more than 50 new positions.

The opponents of the bill are led by Albert Shanker of the American Federation of Teachers. Shanker believes the bill is a power grab by the NEA and argues that it runs counter to reorganization plans that historically have favored consolidation, not expansion into separate constituency departments.

Shanker also said approval of the bill would weaken education by reducing the labor support now behind the health and welfare appropriations of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Louse It Up

Opponents of the bill have offered many amendments designed to cripple the bill by making it so unacceptable to its liberal supporters that they wull ultimately vote against it. Although these amendments were all defeated in the House Govern School of Education; and Peggy Stern, an officer of Harvard's Education for Action Program.

The concert, named "Amandla: a Festival of Unity," is the first concert staged by Haymarket Concerts, a part of the "Haymarket People's Fund," a local foundation founded about ten years ago by George Pillsbury, heir of the Pillsbury Foods Company.

The Foundation gives about half of its grants to public-interest, grass-roots community groups in Boston. The other grants go to community groups in New England. The group continues to raise money, chiefly from donations from individuals with inherited wealth, a member of the group said yesterday.

Haymarket will give the money to the Africa Fund, part of the American Committee on Africa, which will channel the money free of charge.

Irish said the money would go chiefly to aiding Africans in refugee centers in Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, and Botswana. The refugee centers are certified by both the host country and the United Nations, Irish said. "The liberation movements usually administer refugee programs themselves," he added.

The money will probably go to buy medical supplies for the refugees or directly to the refugees as cash payments to spend on whatever they choose, Irish said.

"We regularly travel to refugee centers in Africa. We're quite familiar with how the money is spent," he added.

The money will be given to five liberation groups recognized by the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity: the Zimbabwe African National Union, the Zimbabwe African People's Union, the South Western African Peoples' Organization (Namibia), and the African National Congress and the Pan African Congress and the Pan African Congress (South Africa).

Harvard is insisting that Haymarket Concerts enter about $20,000 into an account to make sure the non-profit group can pay for the necessary security at the concert and to cover any damages. Harvard also set a limit of $23,000 worth of tickets that can be sold.

Haymarket Concerts should be able to get most of the $20,000 back, O'Neill said, if everything runs smoothly.

Haymarket Concerts expects to make $100,000 from the concert. The group is asking for contributions beyond the ticket price of $10 or $12.

Felipe Noguera, a member of Haymarket Concerts, said yesterday he understands why Harvard allowed their non-profit group the use of the stadium. "Their name gets the good publicity, in spite of their holdings in South Africa," he said