US Education Department Says It Will Cut Nearly 50 Pct Of Staff

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Bernama-dpa) -- The US Department of Education on Tuesday said it is laying off around half of its employees as part of a major restructuring, reported German news agency dpa 

In a statement, the department said that as part of its "final mission," nearly 50 per cent of its workforce would be affected by the layoffs, with employees placed on administrative leave starting on March 21.

Fox News reported that all employees had been informed that offices would be closed from Tuesday evening until Wednesday as part of the restructuring.

According to official figures, more than 4,100 people were employed by the department prior to the cuts. "After today's actions, the Department's workforce will total roughly 2,183 workers," the department's statement said.

This is not the first staff reduction within federal agencies under Trump's leadership.

The US president has repeatedly expressed a desire to abolish the Department of Education entirely. During his election campaign, Trump said he aimed to dismantle the department. He also said that he wanted Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "put herself out of a job."

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was preparing an executive order to dissolve the department entirely. By Tuesday evening, the White House had yet to comment on the matter.

The Wall Street Journal reported to have obtained a draft of the executive order reportedly instructing McMahon to take all necessary steps to close the department in line with "the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law." 

The New York Times reported that any resolution to close the department, established by Congress in 1979, would likely require Congressional approval. Additionally, a wave of lawsuits would almost certainly be filed in response to such a move.

--BERNAMA-dpa