President Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have repeatedly tried to close government agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, dismantling the Department of Education would be the first time Trump has tried to eliminate a cabinet-level agency.
US President Donald Trump. Photo: White House
Trump's executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary steps to close the Department of Education and transfer control of education to the states, while ensuring essential services are maintained.
The order also prohibits any program that receives funding from the Department of Education from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies or gender perspectives.
President Trump has repeatedly called the Department of Education “a big scam” and proposed closing the agency during his first term, but Congress refused to do so.
Last month, Mr Trump said he wanted to immediately close the Department of Education but admitted he would need support from the US Congress and teachers unions.
According to US government figures, the Department of Education has spent more than $3 trillion since its creation in 1979, but has not produced significant improvements in academic achievement, as measured by standardized test results.
Before the Department of Education was created, the education sector belonged to the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare (1953 - 1979).
Speaking on SiriusXM's "The David Webb Show" on Tuesday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized that the Trump administration's goal is to encourage educational innovation and allow individual states to develop their own models.
“The Department of Education does not directly educate anyone. It does not hire teachers, it does not develop curriculum, it does not appoint school boards or superintend districts,” said Secretary McMahon.
Education Department supporters say closing the agency could cause serious disruption, affecting tens of billions of dollars in funding for public schools and college tuition aid.
However, Ms. McMahon, co-founder and former CEO of the WWE corporation, who was approved by the US Senate on Monday, affirmed that federal aid for disadvantaged students will continue.
Last week, the attorneys general of 20 states and Washington, DC, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston to block the Department of Education's closure.
The lawsuit argues that massive staff cuts would prevent the agency from performing critical functions, particularly in the area of protecting civil rights, thereby violating the US Constitution.
Since Mr. Trump took office in January, the Education Department’s workforce has shrunk from 4,133 to 2,183, after the administration terminated contracts and fired probationary staff.
Cao Phong (according to WH, CNN, Reuters)
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