President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that he aims to eliminate the Department of Education as soon as possible.
“I’d like it to be closed immediately,” Trump told the media in the Oval Office, labeling the agency as “a big con job.”
He criticized the state of U.S. education, pointing out that it ranks 40th globally, yet is number one in “cost per pupil.”
“Send it back to Iowa, to Idaho, Colorado,” Trump continued, reiterating his commitment to return control of education to individual states.
The 78-year-old president is reportedly mulling over the idea of issuing an executive order to transfer many of the Department of Education’s responsibilities to other agencies, retaining only the duties that are specifically mandated by law, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This order would urge Congress to pass legislation aimed at fully dismantling the department, which was partially established by a law signed by President Jimmy Carter.
Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, is expected to review the Department of Education for potential cost savings, similar to his previous work with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“He will be looking at education pretty quickly,” Trump remarked on Friday, commenting on Musk’s forthcoming initiatives.
Trump had campaigned on eliminating the Department of Education and restoring education responsibilities to the states, having nominated Linda McMahon to lead the effort.
He has consistently criticized the department for making educational decisions in Washington, D.C., far removed from the school districts across the nation, and for promoting a curriculum filled with liberal ideologies.
“We will drain the government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to have our youth hearing,” Trump declared at a rally in September.
{Matzav.com}