https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79zxzj90nno
What does the US education department do – and can Trump truly dismantle it?
Ana Faguy BBC News, Washington DC
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to begin the dismantling of the Department of Education.
It’s a long-held goal of conservatives but the complete shuttering of the department is unlikely as it would take an act of Congress.
Since Trump returned to the White House, the department has already announced plans to slash about half of its workforce.
Established in 1979, the department oversees funding for public schools, administers student loans and runs programmes that help low-income students.
Trump and his allies have accused the agency of indoctrinating young people with racial, sexual and political material.
US education department plans to cut half its workforce
What does the department do – and not do?
A common misconception is that the Department of Education operates US schools and sets curricula – that responsibility actually belongs to states and local districts.
The agency does oversee student loan programmes and administers Pell grants that help low-income students attend university.
It also helps fund programmes to support students with disabilities and for students living in poverty.
And the department enforces civil rights law designed to prevent race or sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools.