With his latest executive order, President Trump ordered the closure of the US Department of Education. However, this is within the powers of Congress alone. Will he allow Trump to prevail?
The perfect production - musical accompaniment as the president enters, the flags of all the states in the background, and in front of him - a dozen children at school desks. Teachers, parents and party members also stand in the audience and applaud Donald Trump loudly, who announces his plan to close the Department of Education.
"We're stopping it, as quickly as possible. It doesn't do us any good”, says Trump. "We want to put students back in the hands of the individual states, where education belongs”. According to Trump, this plan will work, writes ARD.
This ceremony will appeal to the ultra-conservative supporters of the American president, who have long had a problem with the Department of Education. Trump said that the United States spends much more money on education than any other country, and yet students are at the bottom of the achievement rankings. The Republican tirelessly blames "bureaucrats in Washington” for everything. However, this does not change the fact that only 10 percent of school budgets are provided by the Department of Education.
The department is responsible for student loans and aid programs
According to former Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling, most resources for schools actually come from state and local governments. "They set the curriculum, choose the textbooks and determine the educational policy in the country”. According to Spelling, there are special rules that prohibit federal intervention in these matters.
Spelling led the department in the George W. Bush administration, ARD writes. The largest percentage of the Department of Education's budget actually goes to student loans. "It's like a huge bank - education responsibilities are far from the most important thing there", explains Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute.
Teachers, parents and students worried
In addition, the department funds school meals and programs to assist students with disabilities and students from poor families, ARD recalls. Fear of losing these programs led teachers and students to protest this week.
"What the administration is doing is deplorable. It will destroy families, communities and students. We want to make sure that everyone has access to a free public education,” said Princess Moss of the National Education Association. And senior Alondra Muñoz worries about her future: “I wonder how I’m going to get a loan to go to college.”
Trump assures that all funding programs will be preserved and distributed to other departments. It is not clear which ones, however. According to media reports, the Treasury Department has already refused.
What will Congress say?
It is also unclear whether the president will be able to push through his plans at all. The Secretary of Education has already fired about half of his staff. But only Congress can eliminate the department. Trump is confident that his plan will succeed: "We will eliminate it, and everyone knows that this is the right thing to do. Democrats know this too, and I hope they will vote in favor."
However, according to polls, only 30 percent of Americans agree with the president. The vast majority oppose eliminating the Department of Education. And that will likely lead some Republicans in Congress to reject the plan.