Not even a full month following his inauguration, President Donald Trump seems to be coming for almost every corner of established government policy, from trans rights to DEI. With each action as alarming as the next, the latest on Trump’s political chopping block appears to be the Department of Education.
The Trump administration plans to propose executive orders that would lead to the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, which has been targeted by conservatives since its creation was overseen by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. The proposed actions would effectively defund the department, with potential losses of more than $70 billion for essential programs that many students rely on, including but not limited to Pell Grants, Impact Aid and Vocational Rehabilitation, an essential for students with disabilities. Out of that $70 billion, the portion that goes towards K-12 programs – $34 billion – has been said by experts to educate over two million K-12 students across the nation.
It is true that completely abolishing the department would require an act of Congress, however, the administration is likely to try to get as close as possible through executive actions. When asked to comment on his plans for education in a press conference Feb. 13, Trump said the department needs to be shut down immediately.
“Look, the Department of Education is a big con job,” said Trump.
The Department of Education supplies Pell Grants and the federal student loan program, which a large number of students rely on to fund their education. It gives marginalized communities the support they need in order to further their education. Trump’s education department plans are just a horrifying attempt to control school curriculums and further ban current and future attempts to learn about race, sexuality and more within the public school system.
I believe that if we are even discussing the possibility of this happening, we are already in terrible shape as a country. The American experience has become unique in that the average person usually goes about their day wondering what basic right they are going to have to be actively worrying about next. That is extremely frightening to me as a college student who relies on federal aid to fund my education, and as a human being who wants to see my country thrive. I am deeply saddened by what I am seeing on a daily basis from the people who are supposed to be looking out for us; our leaders.
We cannot give over our right to an education. It is crucial that we look at the implications of Trump’s proposed initiatives on American schooling and fight back with whatever means necessary.
