In a significant move President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to abolish Department of Education. Trump administration has announced plans to shut down the department as quickly as possible. However, closing the department entirely will require congressional approval – Guardian report.

According to the White House, responsibility for education will now be handed over to individual states. While the department is being phased out, key federal programs like student loans and Pell Grants will continue to operate.

Trump administration claims that since its establishment in 1979 Department of Education has failed to deliver substantial improvements in educational outcomes. As a result, they plan to reduce the education budget and transfer control to state governments.

Decision has faced sharp criticism from education rights activists. On Thursday hundreds of teachers and students from Colorado gathered in front of the state capitol to protest the decision.

Demonstrators blocked building’s entrance with placards expressing concerns about the impact on state school funding. They claimed that Colorado schools could lose around $150 million in funding under new budget.

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Despite the backlash White House remains firm in its stance. Officials argue that despite spending $3 trillion on education student performance has not shown significant improvement. They believe that transferring educational control to states will lead to better outcomes.