US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department, fulfilling a campaign promise to conservatives, says a media report.
The order seeks to transfer control over school policy to the states and local boards, a move that has raised concerns among liberal education advocates, Reuters reported.
At a signing ceremony in the White House’s East Room on Thursday, Trump called the order the first step “to eliminate” the department.
However, fully shutting down the agency would require an act of Congress, and Trump currently lacks the necessary votes to do so.
“We’re going to return education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs,” Trump said, standing in front of a vibrant backdrop of state flags.
The signing followed an announcement by the department last week that it would be laying off nearly half of its staff, in line with Trump’s broader efforts to shrink what he views as an inefficient and bloated federal government.
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