Trump signed an order to dismantle the US Education Department, pledging to return control to states.

WASHINGTON, March 21 — President Donald Trump signed an order yesterday to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a long-standing conservative goal of shifting education oversight to individual states.

At a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Trump, surrounded by schoolchildren seated at desks, held up the signed order with a smile.

“This order will begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all,” Trump declared. “We’re going to shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good. Education belongs to the states.”

Established in 1979, the Department of Education cannot be formally dissolved without congressional approval. However, Trump’s order is expected to severely cut its funding and workforce, effectively crippling its operations.

This move aligns with one of Trump’s key campaign promises and is part of a broader government overhaul being carried out with the help of tech mogul Elon Musk.

Education Secretary Tasked with Closure

The order instructs 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.”

McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, was widely seen as a signal that the department’s days were numbered. After taking office earlier this month, she began cutting staff by half and emphasized Trump’s intent to redirect federal education funds to states.

“My job is to get those dollars back to the states without the bureaucracy of Washington,” McMahon told reporters.

Political Backlash

Democrats and educators strongly opposed the move, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it a “tyrannical power grab” and “one of the most destructive decisions Trump has ever made.”

Meanwhile, Republican governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas attended the signing ceremony in support of the initiative.

Trump framed the decision as necessary to cut costs and improve educational standards, arguing that U.S. schools are falling behind those in Europe and China.

Education has long been a battleground in America’s culture wars, with conservatives advocating for local control over curriculum and policies.

Future of Federal Education Oversight

Despite the sweeping changes, the White House acknowledged that some functions of the Education Department may remain intact, particularly those related to student loans and grants for low-income students.

“The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said before the signing.

The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank influential in Trump’s administration, celebrated the move. “It’s a beautiful day to dismantle the Department of Education,” the organization posted on X.

Wider Government Overhaul

Trump, along with Musk and the newly established Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), has already dismantled multiple federal agencies by slashing budgets and staff.

However, not all efforts have gone unchallenged. Earlier this week, a federal judge blocked an attempt to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development, ruling that the move likely violated the Constitution.

Traditionally, the federal government has played a limited role in education, contributing about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools, with states and local communities covering the rest.

However, federal funding has been crucial for low-income schools, students with disabilities, and enforcing civil rights protections in education. The long-term impact of Trump’s order remains to be seen. — AFP