As many know, President Donald Trump has made profound administrative changes to the United States education system. For starters, he has begun steps to dismantle the Department of Education. But, before jumping to any conclusions, let’s see what the department actually does.
The Department does five things:
- Distributes Federal Funding. This includes administering Pell Grants, student loans, and college financial aid.
- Sets National Education Policy. The Department makes standards for schools, while the states determine the curriculum.
- Given the power to enforce said standards.
- Collects and share education data. That PSAT that you failed, yep, the government got that.
- Funds training and education research.
President Trump plans to eliminate the Department so that the states basically inherit these functions. All funding and decisions regarding standards and who receives what are determined by the state, not the federal government. Even though the dismantling process has been in the works for several weeks, the domino effect of funding is apparent. For instance, the administration has pressured universities such as Columbia and Harvard to enact changes to higher education institutions.
Some will say this is a win, arguing that an institution as prestigious and wealthy as Columbia and Harvard shouldn’t take money from taxpayers, especially since they are private–not public. Others will say that the research these institutions provide benefit the world–through medicine, science, and innovation–meaning we should continue to fund and support said institutions. As Trump continues to do Trump things, we will learn more about how things start to turn out. In the meantime, stay in school and keep calm. How the government views education may change, but it isn’t leaving anytime soon.
