WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to officially begin the process of closing the Department of Education.
After more than four decades and over $3 trillion spent with virtually nothing to show for it, President Trump’s bold plan will return education back where it belongs — with the states, the White House said in a statement.
It said there has been virtually no measurable improvement in student achievement, adding: “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, it said.
Seven-in-ten fourth and eighth graders are not proficient in reading, while 40% of fourth grade students don’t even meet basic reading levels, it explained, adding that standardized test scores have remained flat for decades.
With this order, the Trump administration believes states should be empowered to expand educational freedom and opportunity for all families.
The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the
states, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.
“The Order also directs that programs or activities receiving any remaining Department of Education funds will not advance DEI or gender ideology.”
