Flanked by students and educators, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to essentially dismantle the federal department of education, making good on a longstanding campaign promise to conservatives.
The order would leave school policy almost entirely in the hands of states and local boards, a prospect that alarms liberal education advocates.
The order will “begin to eliminate” the department, Mr Trump said at a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Shuttering the department completely requires an act of Congress, and Mr Trump lacks the votes for that.
“We’re going to be returning education, very simply, back to the…