Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to start closure of the Department of Education, a long-term goal of conservative politicians who believe that individual states, rather than federal governments, should control schools.
Trump was surrounded by elementary school students sitting at a desk in the eastern White House room and smiled as he raised the order after signing it.
Trump said the order would “start eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all.”
“We will close it and close it as soon as possible. It will not do us well,” Trump said. “We will return education to the state in which it belongs.”
The education sector was founded in 1979 and cannot be closed without Congress’s approval – but Trump’s orders may have the right to starve funds and employees.
The move is one of the worst steps Trump has taken with the help of technology tycoon Elon Musk and his Department of Administration Efficiency (DOGE).
Democrats and educators slammed the move.
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, called it “authoritarian power” and “one of the most destructive and destructive steps Donald Trump has taken.”
Republican leaders, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Greg Abbott, attended the signing ceremony.
Trump has taken the necessary move to save money and improve American education standards, saying they are behind those in Europe and China.
But education has been on the battlefield in the American cultural war for decades, and Republicans have long wanted to remove control of litigation from the federal government.
“Beautiful Day”
According to a draft obtained by AFP, the order directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to promote education and return to the Education Bureau to close the U.S. closure.”
Trump promises to get rid of the department on the campaign and transfer its power to U.S. states in the same way that abortion rights occur.
Trump appointed McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to lead the division, which is widely regarded as a sign that its days have been numbered.
But the White House said earlier that the hip education department may continue to deal with “critical functions” including loans and grants from some low-income students.
“The Ministry of Education will be much smaller than today,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters before signing the contract.
The Heritage Foundation – a right-wing think tank that has seen many of the “Project 2025” recommendations passed by Trump – welcomes the move.
It said on X: “It was a great day to demolish the Ministry of Education.”
Traditionally, the U.S. government has had a limited role in education, with only about 13% of primary and secondary schools coming from the federal treasury, while the rest is funded by states and local communities.
But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs. The federal government is crucial to enforcing critical civil rights protections for students.
Trump and his billionaire adviser Musk have dismantled several other government agencies, weakening them effectively by cutting plans and employees.
A federal judge on Monday stopped a similar move to remove the U.S. International Development Agency, which said the push could be a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
