US Department of Education: In a significant move on Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the process of dismantling the Department of Education. Trump stated that while key initiatives such as Pell Grants and Title I funding -- which support children with disabilities -- would remain intact and be reassigned to other agencies, the department itself had not delivered on its promise of educational improvement despite decades of rising federal spending.
Highlighting the department's track record, Trump argued that the Department of Education has failed to significantly uplift the quality of American education. He also pointed out that the department's creation was met with resistance in 1979 -- not only from Republicans but even from members of the then-President Jimmy Carter's own cabinet.
"Today we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making. I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the Federal Department of Education once in for all. Democrats know it's right. I hope they're going to be voting for it because ultimately it may come before them. We have to get our children educated. We're not doing well with the education in this country and we haven't for a long time. It's been amazing how popular this has been- everybody says it- Republicans and Democrats have said it they're all saying it also with us are some terrific," Trump said.
Trump's criticism of Department of Education
Notably, Trump has often criticised the Department of Education, describing it as "inefficient" and "heavily influenced by liberal ideologies". The agency has often been in the crosshairs of conservative critics, who argue that education policy should be determined at the state and local levels rather than managed federally. This executive order marks the beginning of what could be a major shift in the federal government’s role in education, with Trump asserting that empowering states and local communities may yield better outcomes than centralised oversight.
White House data on Department of Education's spending
As per the White House, the US Department of Education has spent USD 3 plus trillion since 1979. Since then, per-pupil spending has increased by more than 245 per cent-- with virtually nothing to show for it. White House data shows that Math and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at the lowest level in decades. Six in ten fourth graders and nearly three-quarters of eighth graders are not proficient in math. Seven in ten fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40 per cent of fourth-grade students don't even meet basic reading levels. Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades. US students rank 28 out of 37 OECD member countries in math.
What is US Department of Education?
Established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter’s administration, the US Department of Education holds cabinet-level status and plays a vital role in shaping the nation's education landscape. As the central body overseeing education policy at the federal level, the department is tasked with guiding and supporting schools across the country through a range of key functions.
Its key mission is the administration of federal financial aid programmes in order to provide students access to resources like grants and loans to pursue their educational goals. The department also collects and analyzes data from schools nationwide—information that helps identify pressing issues in the education system and informs policy decisions.
(With inputs from agencies)
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