Trump expected to order dismantling of Education Department: US media
3 Min Read
A draft of the order has instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all necessary measures to dismantle the department.
-
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP)
US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order as early as Thursday, instructing newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the department she now oversees.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a draft of the order circulated on Wednesday directs McMahon to "take all necessary steps" to shut down the Education Department within the limitations of the law.
Trump has vowed to decentralize education, pledging during his campaign to transfer the department's powers to state governments.
The Education Department, established in 1979 under former President Jimmy Carter, cannot be dissolved without congressional approval, requiring 60 votes in the Senate. However, as with other federal agencies under Trump’s second administration, the department could face deep budget cuts and layoffs, significantly reducing its effectiveness.
The Republican leader's push to dismantle the department has sparked backlash from Democrats, teachers' unions, and parents, who view it as a direct attack on public education.
'Fund education freedom'
McMahon, a 76-year-old businesswoman and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, argued at a Senate education committee hearing last month that excessive federal control was harming the education system.
"So what’s the remedy? Fund education freedom, not government," she stated.
The Washington Post reported that McMahon and other officials are considering transferring some of the department’s responsibilities to other government agencies, a move that could face legal hurdles.
Trump's efforts to shut the department down spread fears that employees would lose their jobs when their work is already paused. "We’re called parasites in the press. There’s a lot of fearmongering about what we do. What we do is ensure states are protecting children with disabilities," one employee said.
This comes amid Trump's campaign targeting federal workers and entities in a sweeping effort to reduce government spending and bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk.
Over 9,500 federal jobs have been cut according to a Reuters report published on Friday; the Department of Education was the most affected with 1,200 to 2,000 employees dismissed, the Department of Interior saw 2,300 workers laid off, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lost 1,300 employees.
