US President Donald Trump has been making one eye-catching decision after another since coming to power. Almost every day, they are causing controversy in various circles. This time, the US President has sealed such an exceptional decision. On Thursday, he signed an order to abolish the Department of Education from the federal government. As a result, the US central administration will no longer allocate any funds to the education sector. Trump said that this order will "begin to eliminate the federal Department of Education once and for all." After signing the order in a special ceremony among school students sitting at desks in the East Room of the White House, Trump held up the order and smiled.
However, Trump's idea is not new or dropped from the sky. The idea of "eliminating" the Department of Education is a goal of the American right-wing for almost a decade. They want each state to run schools independent of the federal government. This means that from now on, the responsibility of making decisions related to education will rest with the American provinces or states. This time, local administrations will be concerned with American education issues. Trump said, “It (this system) is not doing us any good, we will return education to the states where it belongs.”
Closing the Department of Education was one of Trump’s campaign promises. It is coupled with Elon Musk’s tough reform plan. It repeatedly calls for curbing administrative spending. As such, it is the most drastic action of the Trump administration so far. The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to close the Department of Education and return education authority to the states.” Trump wanted to close the Department of Education for the first time as president. But the task could not be done that time due to administrative complications. However, the right-wing think-tank Heritage Foundation welcomed the move.
On the other hand, Democrats and educators have strongly condemned Trump’s move. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, called it a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive and destructive actions Donald Trump has taken.”
The role of the US federal government in education is limited under the American system. Only 13 percent of funding for elementary and secondary schools comes from the federal treasury, with the rest coming from states and local communities. But even then, federal funding plays a very important role for low-income schools and students with special needs. Many believe that the role of the federal government is essential in implementing important civil rights protections for students.
Along with this, another demand is being raised. In 1979, the US Department of Education was brought under the control of the federal administration. This time, Trump closed it. The question arises: can this education department, created in 1979, be closed like this without the approval of Congress?
