Newly elected US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the time has come to free America’s educational institutions from radical leftism and the accreditation system will be used to achieve this goal.
He said that upon assuming the presidency on January 20 next year, Mr Trump would fire “radical leftist” accreditors who have allowed colleges to become dominated by “Marxists, lunatics and lunatics”. In a more than two-minute-long statement also shared by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Mr Trump accused academics of being obsessed with educating America’s youth while tuition fees continue to rise.
The Republican said his administration would appoint new accreditors who would “protect the American tradition of belonging to Western civilization, protect free speech, eliminate wasteful administrative positions that drive up costs, unwaveringly embrace all Marxist diversity, equality and inclusion.” Will implement real standards, including “removing bureaucrats”. Providing options for accelerated and low-cost degrees, providing meaningful job placement and career services, and implementing college entrance and exit exams to prove that students are actually learning”.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11 November 2024
He reiterated his pledge to remove “anti-American madness” from institutions run on hundreds of billions of hard-working taxpayers’ dollars.
Mr Trump also said he would direct the Justice Department to pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that engage in racial discrimination. Furthermore, to punish schools that engage in unlawful discrimination “under the guise of equality”, he said he would introduce a law that would fine institutions up to the full amount of their endowment.
Mr. Trump’s Agenda47 mentions closing the Department of Education, as well as cutting funding to any schools that teach Critical Race Theory or “transgender madness” and those that “embrace patriotic values and support the American way of life.” There is also a proposal to give recognition to teachers.
His statement comes after months of fierce pro-Palestinian protests on campuses across the US, including Harvard, New York University, Yale, Emerson College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
