President Donald Trump's Executive Order Shutting Down the U.S. Department of Education

President Donald Trump's Executive Order Shutting Down the U.S. Department of Education

Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, announcing plans to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. A White House official stated that Trump is implementing this as a campaign promise, which has long been a goal for conservatives.

Trump has long criticized the Department of Education as wasteful and corrupted by liberal ideology. However, completely dismantling the department may not be feasible, as it was established by Congress in 1979.

A White House fact sheet mentioned that the executive order would instruct Secretary Linda McMahon to take the necessary steps to close the Department of Education and return its functions to the states. However, it will ensure that essential services, programs, and benefits that Americans rely on are not impacted.

Public schools have raised concerns about this move, arguing that it would deepen the country's already discriminatory education system and leave millions of children disadvantaged. "This is not about reforming the education system; it's about ensuring that millions of children won't have the right opportunities," said the National Parents Union.

So far, the White House has not clarified in detail which functions will be transferred to other departments or completely eliminated. However, McMahon has stated that core activities of the department, such as Title I funding and Pell Grants, would be maintained.

The Department of Education allocates billions of dollars annually and manages $1.6 trillion in student loan debt. Its primary responsibilities include student loan management and overseeing various support programs.

During his campaign, Trump promised to shut down the Department of Education and return its responsibilities to the states. He labeled the department as a "volatile field of radicals, zealots, and Marxists."

Although Trump had sought to cut the department's budget during his first term and proposed turning K-12 funding into block grants to Congress, that proposal was rejected.