Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that would "minimise" the work and authority of the Department of Education, in a move that only partly delivers on a major campaign promise and long-time goal of many Republicans.
Surrounded by schoolchildren, Republican governors and other supporters, Mr Trump signed the order at the White House, instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to immediately begin reducing the work of the agency and hand over much of the authority over education to the states.
"The United States spends more money on education by far than any other country, and spends, likewise, by far, more money per pupil than any country, and it's not even close, yet we rank near the bottom of the list in terms of success," Mr Trump said.
"We're going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs, and this is a very popular thing to do, but much more importantly, it's a common sense thing to do and it's going to work."
The move is part of a wider effort by Mr Trump to reduce the size and powers of the federal government, based on ideology held by many conservatives that a larger government limits civil liberties.
"As you know, the President directed Linda McMahon to greatly minimise the agency," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier on Thursday. "The Department of Education will be much smaller than it is today."
Mr Trump said he hoped Ms McMahon would be the last US education secretary and that critical measures to oversee student loans and grants programmes will be "fully preserved".
Many Republicans have identified federal programmes such as social security, unemployment, disability, food stamps and federally funded health insurance as interventionist and wasteful. They accuse the Department of Education of promoting a progressive agenda in schools, including critical race theory and “gender ideology”.
Mr Trump, who took office on January 20, has already narrowed the powers and work of the Department of Education. Its workforce has been halved and he ended funding for many of its programmes.
He also charged Elon Musk, his billionaire adviser, with making major cuts to other government agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID). But this is the first attempt to dismantle a cabinet-level agency.
Public schools are already largely controlled by states and funded by taxes collected in each municipality. The federal government supplies between 7 per cent and 13 per cent of the funding, depending on the needs of each district.
The funds provide student loans, school meals, funding for disability programmes and support for homeless students. The department also oversees public universities.
Critics say ending these programmes will disproportionately affect poorer students who are already at a disadvantage.
“Without the Department of Education, there is no guarantee that our children will receive the public education they are entitled to,” the National Parents' Union wrote in a statement.
“Eliminating this critical infrastructure weakens our nation, erodes opportunity and makes it even harder for families to advocate for the resources and support their children need.”
The Department of Education was created in 1979 in a bipartisan effort by Congress. Experts say only Congress has the authority to terminate it. Mr Trump's Republican Party has a majority in Congress but to pass such legislation in the legislature, he would need the support of several Democrats.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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PROFILE BOX:
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence
Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($800,000)
Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
