Trump says sending education 'BACK TO ALL THE STATES', where it belongs

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the federal government will soon be sending education "back to the states" while congratulating lawmakers in Texas for approving a private school voucher program.

"We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs. It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before," he said in a Truth Social post.

"Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, along with Texas Legislators, for finally passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I strongly endorsed – this is a gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas!," Trump wrote in the online post.

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Trump wants to dismantle Education Department

In March, Trump signed an executive order that will "begin eliminating" the federal Department of Education (DOE). Trump said that "this is the right thing to do", adding that the DoE will be shut "as quickly as possible".

The DoE is in charge of administering federal student loans for college and university students and offering assistance for low-income and disabled students. In the United States, schools are administered and paid for largely at the state level, especially for primary and secondary school - only about 13% of funding for those schools comes from federal sources.

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The White House believes that dismantling the education department will improve student test scores and save money. But Democrats and critics don't agree and say the move would leave the most vulnerable students in the lurch.

"We're going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It's doing us no good," Trump had said. "We're going to return education back to the states where it belongs."

The Education Department, created in 1979, cannot be shuttered without the approval of Congress -- but Trump's order will likely have the power to starve it of funds and staff.

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The move honors one of Trump's campaign promises and is among the most drastic steps yet in the brutal overhaul of the government that Trump is carrying out with the help of tech tycoon Elon Musk.

Traditionally the US government has had a limited role in education, with only about 13 percent of funding for primary and secondary schools coming from federal coffers, the rest being funded by states and local communities.

But federal funding is invaluable for low-income schools and students with special needs. And the federal government has been essential in enforcing key civil rights protections for students.

Trump, his billionaire advisor Musk and Musk's Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) have already dismantled several other government agencies, effectively crippling them by slashing programs and employees.

(With inputs from agencies)