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DOGE has been axing contracts that funded data collection used to refine the U.S. education system this week. Al Drago/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • From around 4,133 employees, the Department is now down to roughly 2,183 staff
  • Some X users believe the cuts were justified since the Department had supposedly focused on 'bureaucracy'
  • Others suggested Trump was turning the American people into an 'uneducated population'

The U.S. Department of Education has announced sweeping cuts to its workforce, firing nearly half of its personnel, drawing sharp criticism from social media users on X who believe education should be the last place to consider when implementing government downsizing plans.

The education department announced the layoffs Tuesday, saying the latest cuts will affect "nearly 50% of the department's workforce" and should be the first significant step "toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the force reduction represents the department's commitment to ensuring that its resources are directed "where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers."

How Deep Did the Cuts Go?

According to the department, there were roughly 4,133 employees when U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated. Following Tuesday's layoffs, the workforce stood at around 2,183.

The cuts included nearly 600 personnel who accepted a buyout offer over the last seven weeks. Over 300 of them accepted the voluntary separation incentive payment promoted by the president himself.

Employees affected by the force reduction will be placed under administrative leave starting March 21.

Department officials also revealed that the leases on buildings across several cities will be terminated as part of the downsizing efforts pushed by Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

An email was sent to employees Tuesday, informing them that the department's Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday and reopen Thursday. The office closures were over unspecified "security reasons," as per AP.

Tuesday's layoffs are part of the Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal government. Both the president and his DOGE chief have said many federal workers were not doing their jobs and the U.S. federal government was very bloated.

There have been protests in recent weeks to oppose Trump's plan to dismantle the Department.

X Users Divided Over Department Cuts

While some users on Musk-owned X agreed that the workforce reduction was necessary since the department was supposedly "bloated," many were unpleased that the downsizing had to affect education.

Some users accused the department of focusing on "bureaucracy" instead of educating students.

Others said the American education system was already "broken since its founding" and has become a "completely unnecessary" agency.

"Education should be the last place for cuts," said one user, adding that "investing in the future shouldn't be optional."

One user questioned how a developed country like the U.S. was dismantling its education department when even so-called "third world countries" weren't doing so.

Another suggested that it appears the U.S. president was turning the American public into an "uneducated population" by targeting the Education Department.

Meanwhile, the Rapid Response X account of the Trump White House responded to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's post about the department cuts supposedly being about "defunding your local public school."

"We spend more per pupil than any other country and have nothing to show for it. What we've done for decades hasn't worked," the Rapid Response account stated, along with photos of reports on how U.S. education has fared so far in recent years.

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