Trump signs order to dismantle the Education Department

Moving to fulfill a campaign promise, President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday that would shut down the Department of Education.

However, the department, created in 1979, cannot be dismantled without Congressional approval.

Impact on students
The department manages the $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio, issuing $100 billion in new loans and $31 billion in Pell Grants each year. Pell Grants are subsidies the federal government provides to help students pay for college.

The agency’s main role is financial. It provides grants worth tens of billions of dollars to schools and programs to support millions of students from low-income and rural areas, and those with disabilities.

The order follows staff cuts. The agency had 4,133 employees when Trump took office; now, just 2,183 remain, nearly half of the original staff size. 

Critics, including education unions and Democrats, argue that closing the department would harm public education, increase class sizes, weaken civil rights protections, and make it difficult for the department to function. Republicans opined that the major functions could be divided among other federal agencies. The Treasury could handle student loans, the Justice Department could enforce civil rights, and the Health and Human Services could manage disability rights.

What happens next?
While Trump and his supporters say the department has been ineffective and ideological, polls show mixed public opinion. 

A recent survey found that 60% of Americans oppose the agency’s dismantling. As Congressional approval remains uncertain, legal challenges could delay or block the plan.