US government: Trump matters to the Ministry of Education

US President Donald Trump has signed a decree to destroy the Ministry of Education. The aim is to eliminate the department “once and for all”, said the Republican at a ceremony in the White House. In the decree, Education Minister Linda McMahon instructs to take all the necessary steps to reduce the functions of the ministry to a minimum.

Trump sat in the signature of the decree between schoolchildren and were placed on typical US school benches. In addition to McMahon, several Republican governors and other guests took part in the ceremony.

A week ago, the US government had released almost half of the ministry employees. In order to completely abolish the department, the consent of the congress would be necessary.

Other authorities should take on tasks

In the United States, responsibility for education is mainly with the states and local authorities. The Ministry of Education in Washington plays a supportive role. For example, it awards federal funds, manages funding programs and analyzes educational data. Many educational institutions rely on this financing.

According to Trump’s plan, the ministry should only take on basic tasks such as the allocation of scholarships and certain financial aid before these tasks also pass to other places. During the signing, he assured that central educational programs – for example for children with disabilities – should be fully preserved. According to his statement, the other authorities could take care of it.

Leading democrat: “that. Will. Children. Damage”

The highest democrat in the Senate, minority leader Chuck Schumer, criticized the measure sharply and described it as “one of the most destructive and most devastating steps” that Trump had ever taken. He warned that this “terrible decision” could impair the quality of education across the country and also lead to higher property taxes. “That. Will. Children. Damage,” it said in his message.

In the United States, a large part of school financing at local level is covered by property taxes on real estate. If federal funds are omitted, states and municipalities would have to conclude possible financing gaps. Financial districts in particular that rely on federal grants could be under pressure. There is concern that this could lead to larger inequalities in the education system.

Trump: “Will find something else for you, Linda!”

The Ministry of Education has long been a thorn in the side. He once said about Minister McMahon: “I want Linda to abolish herself.” He described the ministry itself as “great fraud”. During the ceremony, Trump turned to the minister and said: “We will find something else for you, Linda!” McMahon said to journalists that Trump was concerned with the measure to clear more funds for the individual states – “without the bureaucracy in Washington”.

According to the “New York Times”, the first attempts by the Republicans to close the ministry began in the 1980s. The matter gained new dynamics by a new parents’ movement, which had developed in protests against school closings during the Corona period. The movement, which belonged to many Trump supporters, also rejects the diversity programs supported by the ministry because they see their rights as parents.

Almost half of the ministry employees had been released in the previous week. “As part of the last task of the Ministry of Education”, the Ministry initiated a staff reduction, which affects almost 50 percent of the workforce, it said in a message. Numerous employees had already been released in other ministries.