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A protester stands near the US Department of Education headquarters after the agency said it would lay off nearly half its staff.

REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo

The battle over Department of Education cuts intensifies

The US Department of Education, which Donald Trump has sought to dismantle, is laying off roughly half of its 4,100-strong workforce. Education Secretary Linda McMahoncouched the layoffs in terms of “efficiency,” “accountability,” and deploying resources to serve “students, parents, and teachers.” Critics say otherwise, arguing that cuts are part of a long Republican battle to eliminate federal involvement in education, including its mandate to enforce civil rights protections in schools, and leave the matter to state and local governments – or to private schools and families themselves through homeschooling.

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A person walks in front of the Department of Education building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 4, 2025.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

GZERO Explains: How did the US Department of Education become so controversial?

When was it established and why? US President Jimmy Carter created the department in 1979 as a Cabinet-level agency. It consolidated educational functions that were previously the responsibility of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services).

The department had a broad mandate, overseeing elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, vocational training, special education, and civil rights compliance. Carter wanted to centralize programs and ensure equal access to education, which he considered “a fundamental right.”

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Linda McMahon testifies before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor Committee during a nomination hearing as Secretary of Education in Washington, DC, USA, on Feb. 13, 2025.

Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto via Reuters

Education Dept’s future in question as McMahon begins confirmation process

Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, on Thursday began her Senate confirmation hearing to run the Department of Education, which Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency have vowed to shrink or shut down.
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