Trump signs order to shut down education dept

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Thursday instructed education secretary Linda McMahon to begin shutting down her agency, a task that cannot be completed without congressional approval and sets the stage for a seismic political and legal battle over the federal government's role in the nation's schools.
Surrounded by schoolchildren seated at desks in the East Room of White House, Trump signed a long-awaited executive order that he said would begin dismantling the department "once and for all". The Trump administration has cited poor test scores as a key justification for the move. "We're going to shut it down, and shut it down as quickly as possible," he said.
The department, which manages federal loans for college, tracks student achievement and supports programmes for students with disabilities, was created by an act of Congress. That means, only Congress can shut it down.
However, Trump has already taken significant steps that have limited the agency's operations and authority. Since Trump's inauguration, his administration has slashed the department's workforce by more than half and eliminated $600 million in grants. The job cuts hit particularly hard at the department's Office for Civil Rights, which enforces the country's guarantee that all students have an equal opportunity to an education.
Trump's order contains potentially contradictory guidance for McMahon. On the one hand, the order directs her to facilitate the elimination of the agency. On the other, she is also mandated to rigorously comply with federal law. The order offers no guidance on how to square those two points.
Trump said the department would continue to provide critical functions that are required by law, such as the administration of federal student aid, including loans and grants, as well as funding for special education and districts with high levels of student poverty. The department would also continue civil rights enforcement, White House officials said.