Donald Trump has been open about his direct charge against public education.
On March 21, he signed an executive action instructing the U.S. Secretary of Education to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education,” and to do so “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
The Department of Education is a federal agency that establishes policies and distributes funding for education programs, ensures equal access to education, and collects data on schools and education trends. Thus, it is responsible for promoting educational excellence for all students.
But even before Donald Trump signed the executive order, the administration had been driving agency attrition.
Before Trump was initiated, the department had a minimum of 4,135 workers. Since then, its staff has been halved with only 600 employees resigning while the rest were placed on administrative leave.
This, along with workforce cuts across the federal government, has impacted higher education institutions, causing funding cuts that have caused many students and staff to suffer.
According to Donald Trump’s executive order, the department is the largest source of huge loans for U.S. college and university students.They oversee more than $1.7 trillion in student loans affecting nearly 45 million students.
Trump stated, “The Department of Education isn’t a bank, and it must return bank functions to an equipped to serve America’s students.”
This indicates that it will be difficult for the government to handle large debt portfolios, resulting in a nearly 50 percent reduction in the workforce, removing nearly 7,000 positions.
Further, Americans think Donald Trump’s cuts will hurt and help the country.
Americans for a long time have expressed a lot of fear about education cuts and the fight for education equity. By stripping the Education Department of staff and resources, they feel abandoned for the long-standing commitment to making sure schools receive supplemental funding that won’t harm students based on color and extreme racial inequities.
“I think what Donald Trump is doing has made things harder for kids like us for our success in the future.” Stated 11th Grader DaneiliaWaite.
While some Americans disagree with the order, most also agree with Trump.
The Americans who agreed had expected it to be helpful with reduced taxes, representing the dismantling as a symbol, or even inflation to be eased.
Trump states the important upside for the government and the people is a balance between taxes and the government’s spending. This means there will be limited pathways opened for well-paying jobs for student funding.
Overall, Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education has caused vital resources to be stripped down from students.
Despite what Trump says, education development will suffer without the Department of Education to back it up. Protecting and expanding its role is essential for pathways to opportunity for all Americans to engage in.
