The president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed on Thursday a decree to “eliminate” the Department of Education, an objective of the American right, which has turned schools into a battlefield against progressive ideas.
Surrounded by students sitting in desks in the East Room of the White House, Trump smiled while holding the newly signed decree.
This executive order “will begin to eliminate the Federal Education Department once and for all,” he said.
“We are going to close and close it as quickly as possible. It is not doing any good,” he said. “We are going to return education to states.”
The Department of Education, created in 1979, cannot be closed without the approval of the Congress, but Trump’s decree probably deprives him of funds and personnel.
It is one of the most drastic measures of the reform of the federal government that drives with the support of the Magnate Elon Musk, a visible face of the Commission for Government Efficiency (Doge), which seeks to reduce public spending.
Criticism and support
Democrats and educators have whipped the decision.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, described it as “tyrannical power” and “one of the most destructive and devastating measures that Donald Trump has ever taken.”
Republican leaders, such as Governors Ron Desantis, from Florida, and Greg Abbott, from Texas, attended the signing ceremony of the decree.
Trump argued that the measure will save money and improve educational levels in the United States, which, according to him, are behind those of Europe and China.
Education has been a battlefield for decades in the cultural wars of the United States, and the Republicans have long sought control to the federal government.
“A beautiful day”
The Decree orders the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to “take all necessary measures to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return the educational authority to the States,” according to a draft obtained by the AFP agency.
During the ceremony, the president expressed his hope that McMahon is “the last Secretary of Education.”
McMahon has already suppressed about two thousand positions in the department, which represents half of the total staff. He affirmed to journalists in the White House that Trump intends to “return that money to the states, without the Bureaucracy of Washington.”
Trump promised in his campaign to eliminate the department and return his powers to the States, a process similar to that occurred with the right to abortion.
The appointment of McMahon, former executive director of World Wrestling Entertainment, to direct the department, has already been interpreted as a sign that his disappearance was imminent.
The White House indicated that an educational structure will probably be maintained at the federal level to manage “critical functions”, including loans and some scholarships for low -income students.
“The Department of Education will be much smaller than what is today,” said spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt before the firm.
The Heritage Foundation celebrated the measure. This right -wing thought center is behind Project 2025which includes various conservative proposals, several of which have been adopted by Trump.
“It’s a beautiful day to dismantle the Department of Education,” he published on the social network X.
Impact on low -income schools
Traditionally, the US government has had a limited role in education.
Only about 13 % of the financing of primary and secondary education centers comes from federal funds; The rest is covered by local states and communities.
However, federal financing is essential for schools with less resources and for students with special needs. In addition, the federal government has been key in the application of fundamental civil rights protections for students.
Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk have already dismantled other government agencies, reducing their functionality through programs and personnel.
On Monday, a federal judge blocked a similar measure for the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), considering that the Constitution probably violates.