What is the US Department of Education, what does it do?

US President Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday to start dismantling the Department of Education, fulfilling an election campaign pledge and a long-held dream of American conservatives.

“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,” Trump said.

He added, “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.”

What is the US Department of Education?

The US Department of Education is a cabinet-level agency created by Jimmy Carter in 1979. The department oversaw national education policy and administer federal assistance programs for schools across the country.

The Department of Education’s core responsibilities included distributing federal financial aid for education, collecting data on the US’s schools, identifying major educational issues and enforcing federal education laws prohibiting discrimination and implementing congressional education legislation, the Guardian reported.

It also administered federal student aid programs, providing billions in grants, work-study funds and loans to more than 13 million students.

The Department of Education also oversaw programs addressing special education, English-language acquisition and education for disadvantaged students.

Can Trump legally eliminate a government agency?

By law, the Education Department — created in 1979 — cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress, and Republicans do not have the votes to push that through. The constitutional separation of powers means the president’s executive authority alone isn’t sufficient to close the agency.

As per the Guardian, the White House acknowledged this limitation, with administration officials confirming they don’t have the necessary votes in Congress to eliminate the department completely.

So instead, Trump’s executive order would essentially direct the education secretary, Linda McMahon, to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure”, according to administration officials, while working within existing executive branch powers.

Why did Trump eliminate Department of Education?

Critics have long questioned the need for the Department of Education, arguing that education should remain entirely under state and local control. However, its supporters maintain it plays a crucial role in protecting educational equity and providing much-needed federal backing to schools serving vulnerable populations.

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.

“In Baltimore, 40% of the high schools have zero students who can do basic mathematics- not even the very simplest of mathematics. They’re talking about like adding a few numbers together,” Trump added.

“Despite these breathtaking failures the Department’s discretionary budget has exploded by 600 per cent in a very short period,” Trump said.

“While the Department of Education does not educate anyone, it maintains a public relations office that includes over 80 staffers at a cost of more than $10 million per year,” the executive order read.

Trump said that he was laying off the staff by half and defunding the department. “My administration has initiated a reduction in force. We’ve cut the number of bureaucrats in half,” he said.

What changes now? How will it impact students?

Experts told the Guardian that shutting the department puts marginalized students most at risk. Since federal programs support special education, English-language learners and disadvantaged students, they face the brunt of the impact.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Idea), which provides protections for students with disabilities, is federally enforced through the department.

Meanwhile, Trump said, “We are going to be returning education very simply BACK TO THE STATES where it belongs — It’s a commonsense thing to do and it’s going to work.”

The US President said that the funds used to support students with disabilities and scholarships will be preserved and these duties will be provided to other institutions.

In a statement on Thursday, Secretary of Education Linda McMaho said that instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, the US government “will empower states to take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students, families, and educators in their communities.”

“Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them—we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs. We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition,” McMahon said.