Trump signs order to close the US Education Department permanently. BBC
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to start closing the Department of Education. This move fulfills a promise he made during his campaign and supports a long-standing conservative goal. Trump claims the department has failed students and plans to return its funds to individual states.
“We're going to shut it down as quickly as possible,” Trump announced. However, completely closing the agency would need Congress's approval, which could be difficult.
The decision is already facing legal challenges. Critics argue the shutdown and recent job cuts at the department will hurt students and teachers.
At the signing event in the White House, Trump was surrounded by children sitting at school desks. He said the US spends more on education than any other country, yet students continue to fall behind.
The executive order directs the department to reduce its operations within legal limits. However, the full impact of the order remains unclear, as it does not specify which programs will be cut or how they will be handled.
Trump praised Linda McMahon, who leads the department, and suggested she could take on another role once the agency shuts down.
Following the order, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, announced plans to introduce legislation to close the department. However, with Republicans holding only a slim majority in the Senate, passing the bill would be difficult, as it would require 60 votes.
Even if the department is not officially shut down, the Trump administration plans to significantly reduce its funding and staff. This could leave the agency unable to continue many of its programs, similar to what happened with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which halted much of its work due to major budget cuts.
The Department of Education was created in 1979 and is responsible for student loans and programs that help low-income students. While most schools in the US are funded and run by local and state governments, the department plays a role in providing around 13% of school funding. It also oversees federal student loans used by millions of Americans to pay for college.
Trump has accused the department of promoting racial, sexual, and political agendas in schools. He believes education decisions should be made by states and local governments instead of federal officials.
The executive order instructs McMahon to take all necessary steps to close the department while ensuring the continued delivery of important services and benefits.
Shortly after taking office, McMahon sent a memo to the department's 4,400 employees titled "Our Department's Final Mission." In it, she encouraged them to embrace the chance to perform a final public service for future students.
Trump's plan has sparked strong opposition from teachers' unions, which argue that the move will harm children with disabilities and those living in poverty. They see it as part of Trump's broader "war on woke" agenda rather than a genuine effort to improve education.
The Department of Education, the smallest federal agency, makes up less than 2% of the federal budget. Still, nearly 2,100 of its employees will be placed on leave due to job cuts starting Friday.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who oversees federal spending reforms through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is leading the effort to shrink or abolish many government agencies, including the Department of Education.
