United States President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday (local time) aimed at dismantling the US Department of Education, a move in line with his longstanding campaign pledge.
The decision was reported, citing senior officials from the Trump administration.
The executive order, to be signed in a White House ceremony attended by several Republican governors and state education commissioners, will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to initiate steps towards shutting down the department and transferring authority over education to individual states.
According to a White House summary, the order will ensure the "uninterrupted delivery of services, programmes, and benefits on which Americans rely."
The directive will test the extent of presidential authority, following a recent attempt by the Trump administration to close the US Agency for International Development, which was blocked by a federal judge in Maryland earlier this week.
Earlier, last year, President Trump had formally announced his decision to dismantle the Federal Department of Education, asserting that control over education should be returned to individual states.
Justifying the move, Trump declared, "Any institution that exists solely to justify its continued existence shouldn't exist. The DOE has done nothing for We The People, TIME TO GO!" His remarks underscore a long-standing Republican stance against federal oversight in education, with the administration framing the
The Department of Education, established in 1978 as a Cabinet-level entity, will not be immediately disbanded upon the order’s signing. Any permanent closure will require Congressional approval.
However, the Trump administration has already implemented workforce reductions within the department. While the agency remains operational, it continues to oversee crucial federal funding initiatives for schools.
Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said the order "will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students."
Fields further cited concerns over declining performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, calling it a "national crisis."
The White House document accompanying the order underscores concerns regarding regulations imposed by the Department of Education.
It criticises federal guidance documents, particularly "Dear Colleague" letters, which, according to the administration, divert staff time and resources away from schools' core function of teaching.
Despite the planned restructuring, key federal funding streams—such as those under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title I assistance for low-income schools, and student loan programmes—will not be affected.
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However, under the new directive, remaining Department of Education funds will be prohibited from advancing initiatives related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or gender ideology.
Several prominent Republican governors, including Ron DeSantis of Florida, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Mike DeWine of Ohio, are expected to be present at the signing ceremony.
Republican lawmakers have long contended that the federal government exercises excessive influence over state and local education policies, despite having no direct control over school curricula.
The move comes on the heels of mass layoffs within the Department of Education, with more than 1,300 employees receiving termination notices last week as part of workforce reductions enacted across various federal agencies.
Since assuming his second term in office, Trump has overseen a reduction in the department’s workforce from 4,133 to 2,183 employees through a combination of layoffs and voluntary buyouts.
Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the state of American public schools, frequently comparing their performance unfavourably with international counterparts.
In February, he remarked, "We're ranked at the very bottom of the list, but we're at the top of the list in one thing: the cost per pupil."
Trump has also praised the education systems of certain states, particularly Iowa and Indiana, advocating for a decentralised model in which individual states oversee education policy without federal intervention.
His executive order will further cement this position, marking another instance in which his administration has sought to bypass Congress, as seen in his efforts to dismantle USAID offices and weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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