We look back at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1981
No family allowance for four weeks
NEW government regulations on the payment of family allowance, to be introduced shortly, could cause great hardship to low income families unless they take a positive step to prevent it.
The Department of Health and Social Services will shortly be sending out letters to families who are drawing child benefit, informing them that from January 1982 child benefit will be paid on a monthly basis, and in arrears.
This means that poor families, some of whom depend on child benefit to survive, will be deprived of the money for four weeks unless they inform the Department that they wish to continue drawing the allowance weekly. They sub-postmasters association, some of whose members will be put out of business because of this change to monthly payments are mounting a vigorous campaign to inform people that they may have to do without money for four weeks unless they return the form.
A social worker told the Andersonstown News, that he was worried that the most deprived people who depended on weekly child benefit, where the people most likely not to return the form and this could cause great hardship. From January 1982 new mothers drawing child benefit for the first time will have no option but to accept the four weekly arrangement.
Gerry and Sally Callaghan, Angela Delaney, Cathy Mackel and Liam Delaney at the St Paul's GAC Building Fund ‘Night at the Races’
Editorial
According to all reports, the British Government is still, in principle, anxious to push ahead with the Chilver Report proposals to amalgamate all the teacher training colleges on the one site at Stranmillis.
The Roman Catholic hierarchy states that it is opposed to the change because it would remove from teacher’s training the Catholic influence and philosophy needed if a Catholic ethos is to be retained in the schools.
Taking stated hierarchy policy on ecunenicism and Christian unity into consideration, the objection to amalgamation on merely religious grounds would seem to be a very weak one indeed. But we believe there are stronger arguments than the religious one in favour of retaining the Catholic colleges.
We believe that our society needs diversiry to help formulate a true tolerant spirit that is essential if we are to survive as a community or as an amalgamation of communities. Part of our present political unrest was caused by the refusal of the Unionists and the British government to tolerate any divergence from the “one true apostolic faith of Protestant Unionist”.
The Unionists were always strong advocates of centralisation and centralisation and intolerance tend to go hand in hand. Cost effectiveness, efficiency and better education have been put forward as arguements for amalgamation. But we don’t think that these arguments can be sustained by facts.
Centralisation in education would tend to stultify and hamper initiative and research rather than encourage it. The strongest argument in our opinion against amalgamation is the question of Irish education for Irish children.
This particular aspect of the education system, which has often been disregarded even in the Catholic colleges would, in our opinion be non-existent in the new set up whose main objection would be to provide British trained teachers for British children which is the typical and long standing unionist position.
If this were to happen it would be a crime, not only against Irish education, but would be a severe blow against the diversity in our society which as we have already stated, is essential if we are to survive.
Joan Allen with Paul and Anne Caldwell during a night out this week in 1981
RUC are now debt collectors
IT has just been reported to this newspaper that there seems to be a new departure in methods used by the RUC to bring members of the public to the Enforcements Officer at Bedford House.
One person was lifted this week shortly after 7.30am by two jeeploads of armed RUC men and taken to Woodbourne joint British Army/RUC base on the Stewartstown Road. When he arrived at the base, he was given a thorough search, all his belongings were taken from him (including shoe laces) and he was placed in an unheated cell which had a spluttering strip light.
This was not just a random cell but was selected specifically for the purpose by the two RUC men to intimidate and annoy. This was all for the princely sum of £75 owed to a Belfast public utility. Are these the requirements which the Master of the Enforcements demands to bringing people to his office, or do the RUC just enjoy harrassing the Catholic population of West Belfast?
Ethel and Billy Anderson, John and Teresa McLoughlin and Alice Alexander
