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The Trump administration is bringing back dozens of Education Department staffers who were slated to be laid off, saying their help is needed to tackle a mounting backlog of discrimination complaints from students and families. The staffers had been on administrative leave while the department faced lawsuits challenging layoffs in the agency's Office for Civil Rights, which investigates possible discrimination in the nation's schools and colleges. But in a Friday letter, department officials ordered the workers back to duty starting Dec. 15 to help clear civil rights cases. A department spokesperson confirmed the move, saying the government still hoped to lay off the staffers to shrink the size of the department. "The Department will continue to appeal the persistent and unceasing litigation disputes concerning the Reductions in Force, but in the meantime, it will utilize all employees currently being compensated by American taxpayers," Julie Hartman said in a statement. In the let
The Trump administration says its plan to dismantle the Education Department offers a fix for the nation's lagging academics a solution that could free schools from the strictures of federal influence. Yet to some school and state officials, the plan appears to add more bureaucracy, with no clear benefit for students who struggle with math or reading. Instead of being housed in a single agency, much of the Education Department's work will now be spread across four other federal departments. For President Donald Trump, it's a step toward fully closing the department and giving states more power over schooling. Yet many states say it will complicate their role as intermediaries between local schools and the federal government. The plan increases bureaucracy fivefold, Washington state's education chief said, undoubtedly creating confusion and duplicity for educators and families. His counterpart in California said the plan is clearly less efficient and invites disruption. Maryland's .
The number of international student arrivals in the US dropped by nearly a fifth in August as American universities started the new academic year, according to federal data. The dip is the latest sign of a hit to colleges' international enrolment as the Trump administration ratchets up scrutiny of foreign students. International visitors arriving to the US on student visas declined 19 per cent in August compared with the same month in 2024, according to the preliminary data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office. The numbers declined also in June and July but August is the summer month that typically sees the most international student arrivals 313,138 this year. As the federal government has clamped down on student visas, industry groups have warned of international enrolment declines that threaten school budgets and American colleges' standing in the world. While the full extent of the change remains to be seen, the new data suggests a turnaround in international ..
The Trump administration escalated its fight with Harvard University on Friday, placing the Ivy League school under extra financial oversight and threatening sanctions if it does not provide additional data on its admissions practices. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the department was placing Harvard under heightened cash monitoring, forcing the school to use its own money to pay out financial aid for students and then seek reimbursement from the government. She also threatened further enforcement action if the school does not turn over records to prove it no longer is considering race in admissions. Harvard did not respond to a request for comment. The moves are part of the administration's crackdown on Harvard as President Donald Trump seeks to eradicate what he describes as liberal bias at colleges around the country. Since taking office, Trump has used the Education Department in unprecedented ways, cutting federal research grants for schools that do not accede to his .
A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programmes at the nation's schools and universities. In her ruling, US District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland found that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with DEI initiatives. The guidance has been on hold since April when three federal judges blocked various portions of the Education Department's anti-DEI measures. The ruling Thursday followed a motion for summary judgment from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, which challenged the government's actions in a February lawsuit. The case centres on two Education Department memos ordering schools and universities to end all race-based decision-making or face penalties up to a total loss of federal funding. It's part of a campaign to end practices the Trump ...
The Trump administration is releasing billions of dollars in grants to schools for adult literacy, English language instruction and other programmes, the Education Department said Friday. President Donald Trump's administration had withheld more than USD 6 billion in funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House's priorities. The funding freeze had been challenged by several lawsuits as educators, Congress members from both parties and others called for the administration to release money schools rely on for a wide range of programs. Congress had appropriated the money in a bill signed this year by Trump. Last week, the Education Department said it would release USD 1.3 billion of the money for after-school and summer programming. Without the money, school districts and non-profits such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of America had said they would have to close or scale back educational offerings this fall. The release of that money cam