Trump Signs Order To Dismantle US Department Of Education 'As Quickly As Possible'

After signing the order, Trump said that "closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them." 

US President Donald Trump has signed an order to begin dismantling the education department.

Source : X@WhiteHouse

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to begin the dismantling of the Department of Education "as quickly as possible" to axe an agency that’s been a target of conservatives, fulfilling a promise he made during the election campaign trail in 2024.

Trump, however, said that essential programs like Pell Grants and Title I funding for children with disabilities would be preserved and reassigned to other agencies, adding that the overall department had failed to improve education despite the increase in spending over the past four decades. "It's doing us no good," he said.

"Today we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making. I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the Federal Department of Education once in for all. Democrats know it's right. I hope they're going to be voting for it because ultimately it may come before them. We have to get our children educated. We're not doing well with the education in this country and we haven't for a long time. It's been amazing how popular this has been- everybody says it- Republicans and Democrats have said it they're all saying it also with us are some terrific," he said.

Trump said "the US spends more money on education by far than any other country" yet students "rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success".

Trump Blames Education Department For America's Lagging Academics

At the signing ceremony, Trump blamed the Education department for America’s lagging academic performance and expressed confidence that the states will do a better job. However, he hailed Linda McMohan, whom he appointed to lead the department and said she would be the last secretary of education, BBC reported.

He further said he would find "something else" for her to do within the administration.

The order says the education secretary will, “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

VIDEO | The USA President, Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) signed an executive order to commence dismantling the US Department of Education.

A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of)… pic.twitter.com/877qGkuqmY

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 21, 2025

After signing the order, Trump said that "closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them." 

It does not offer specifics on how the work for this will be carried out or where it will be targeted, but the White House said the agency will retain critical functions. 

He also said that when former US President Jimmy Carter created the department, it was opposed by his cabinet and the Republicans.

Earlier on Thursday, the White House said the department will continue to manage federal student loans, but the signed order suggests the opposite. It states the Education Department doesn’t have the staff to manage its $1.6 trillion loan portfolio and "must return bank functions to an entity equipped to serve America’s students."