US President Donald Trump has taken a jibe at the US Department of Education, criticising its spending while the nation continues to fall in global education rankings.
He has called the DOE a “con job,” ordered immediate budget cuts, and is pushing for its closure, Fox News reports.
‘We’re ranked no. 40’
Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he had seen a report showing the US ranked 40th worldwide in education despite spending the most per student.
“Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job,” Trump said. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”
Trump recalled that the US was previously ranked 38th but said a recent report showed it had slipped further.
“As big as it is, [China] is ranked in the top five, and that’s our … primary competitor,” he stated. “So, if we’re ranked No. 40, that means something’s really wrong.”
Executive orders on education
Last month, Trump signed two executive orders aimed at reshaping the education system. One order removed federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory (CRT), while the other bolstered school choice initiatives.
Over the years, parents across the US have voiced concerns at school board meetings over the inclusion of CRT and other controversial topics in education. During his campaign, Trump promised to cut funding for schools that promote CRT, transgender ideology, and “any other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.”
With test scores dropping nationwide, the Trump administration is pushing major education reforms, with reports suggesting officials may shut down the DOE entirely.
Trump has made it clear that education spending will not go unchecked. “I’d like it to be closed immediately,” he said of the DOE, reinforcing his stance that the department is failing students while wasting taxpayer money.
Cutting education spending
As part of a broader effort to slash wasteful spending, Trump has directed the department of government efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to review federal expenses. This week, DOE was placed on the chopping block.
On Monday, DOGE announced it was cutting $881 million across 89 DOE contracts. Among these cuts, $101 million was allocated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training. One of the programmes targeted focused on teaching educators to “help students understand/interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognise areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis.”
“Your tax dollars were spent on this,” Musk wrote about the DOE’s spending.
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