Donald Trump to sign executive order, seeks shutdown of US Education Department

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the US Education Department, a White House official said, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that has long been a target of conservatives.  

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity before the announcement, said the order would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

Why does Trump want to dismantle department?

Trump has often slammed the Education Department, saying it wastes money and follows liberal policies. He believes that states, not the federal government, should be in charge of education. Many conservatives agree, arguing that federal oversight isn’t needed.  

Republicans have wanted to shut down the department for years, saying it interferes with local schools and misuses taxpayer money. Recently, more parents' groups have supported this idea, wanting more control over what their children learn in school. However, completely shutting down the department isn’t simple. Since Congress created it in 1979, only Congress can close it. A similar effort in 2023 failed when 60 Republicans joined Democrats to vote against it.  

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Even some of Trump’s supporters doubt he can close the department with just an executive order. During Trump’s first term, his Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, tried to cut the department’s budget and give states more control over school funding. However, Congress rejected her plan, including some Republicans who worried about its effects.

Impact on schools, students, and funding  

The Education Department plays a key role in distributing billions of dollars in federal funding to schools and overseeing 1.6 trillion dollars in student loans. Although federal money accounts for only about 14 per cent of public school budgets, much of it goes toward critical programs for vulnerable students, including Title I for low-income schools and the McKinney-Vento program for homeless students.  

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Criticism and support for Trump’s move 

Advocates for public education have condemned the plan, warning that eliminating the department would further entrench inequality in the US school system. The National Parents Union said in a statement: “This isn’t fixing education. It’s making sure millions of children never get a fair shot. And we’re not about to let that happen without a fight,

Conservative groups, however, have applauded Trump’s move, arguing that education decisions should be left to states and parents rather than federal bureaucrats. Trump has also framed the department as a hub for “radicals, zealots, and Marxists” who push left-leaning policies through regulations and guidance.  

Despite his efforts to reduce the department’s influence, Trump has used its power to advance his own agenda, threatening to withhold funding from institutions that do not comply with his orders on transgender athletes in women’s sports, diversity programs, and pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses.  

(With inputs from AP)