United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on 20 March 2025 which initiated the process of dismantling the Department of Education. It directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin transferring educational authority to states while ensuring the continuation of essential services like federal student aid and funding for students with disabilities.
From Federal to State and Local Governments: The Reason Why Donald Trump Shuts Down the Department of Education and Corresponding Criticisms
Reasoning
The decision of the second Trump administration aligns with longstanding Republican views that education policy should be managed by state and local governments rather than at the federal level. Trump criticized the department for its inefficiencies and high costs since its establishment in 1979 under the administration of Jimmy Carter. He argued that the U.S. continues to underperform in key academic areas like mathematics despite substantial spending.
Furthermore, as stated in the executive order, the Trump administration claims that the Department of Education has entrenched the education bureaucracy and sought to convince America that Federal control over education is beneficial. The administration contended that shutting down the department would save parents and children from what it deems a failing system and would help in improving program implementation in higher education.
Long-time supporters have argued that the abolition of the department would reduce or eliminate federal overreach and bureaucracy. The agency is seen as an unnecessary layer of government that adds regulations, paperwork, and administrative costs without directly improving student outcomes. The abolition is seen to empower state and local governments to tailor education policies and programs according to the needs of their communities.
Implications
Abolishing the Department of Education can result in fragmentation. It could lead to significant educational disparities between states wherein poorer states would struggle to provide adequate resources. The department also collects and analyzes data on schools, student performance, and educational trends to determine gaps, improve policies, and set national priorities. Shutting it down would mean a loss of research initiative at the federal level.
Moreover, while the executive order guarantees federal student aid and funding for students with disabilities, the department supports a range of educational programs and initiatives. These include its contribution of about 8 to 13 percent in K-12 public school funds to support states and local governments. The department had the function of establishing funding priorities for the federal government. These include distributing and monitoring these funds.
It is also worth mentioning that while the executive department of the federal government can initiate the process of dismantling the Department of Education, approval from the U.S. Congress is still needed since it is a federal department created through legislation. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must pass legislation to officially dissolve the department. The formal abolition could involve an extended legislative debate.