Elon Musk's efforts to reduce US spending have led to a series of cuts in the Ministry of Education totaling more than $900 million. The measures are apparently aimed at limiting the activities of the ministry's research unit, the Institute of Pedagogical Sciences. This was reported by The New York Times, according to UNN.
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On February 10, Musk's team announced that the Ministry of Education had “terminated” 89 contracts, as well as 29 grants related to diversity and equality training.
Most of the contract cuts affected the Institute of Pedagogical Sciences, including grants for educational innovation and research, as well as review projects related to the What Works Clearinghouse, a think tank that conducts and curates research on best practices in education.
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Less than two weeks after the release of new federal test data showing historically low reading scores, the cuts are likely to hit research into problems in American education since the Covid-19 pandemic, such as absenteeism and student behavior. The Department of Education spokesperson did not specify which programs or grants were decided to be suspended, citing social media posts from an account linked to Musk.
The move has raised alarm among researchers and lawmakers who consider the information collected by the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) an invaluable resource for educators working to improve teaching methods.
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, condemned the cuts.
An unelected billionaire is now bulldozing the Ministry of Education's research division, striking at the high-quality research and baseline data that is needed to improve public schools,
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