You want to know why is the department of education important to the objectives of educators and instructors the same? The reasons are simple! Since the major aim of the department of education is to provide equal opportunities for children without regard for their background or family circumstances.
Thus, DfE can be surmised that its functions revolve around the act of being responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further, and higher education), apprenticeships, and wider skills in the whole world. In other instances, the department of education prides itself in good work which includes funding for children with disabilities (IDEA), pandemic recovery, early childhood education, Pell Grants, Title I, work assistance, among other programs.
The Department of Education is a powerful tool that can be used to expand access to education to those who have historically been underserved.
Unlike the systems of many other countries, education in the United States is decentralized. Due to the courts and lawmakers’ interpretation of the 10th Amendment, this means the federal government and Department of Education are not involved in determining curricula or educational standards or establishing schools or colleges.
Some of their major functions also are the following:
- Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
- Collecting data on America’s schools and disseminating research.
- Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
- Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
Reasons Why the Department of Education
Having gone through some of the very observable functions of the DfE, it is this backdrop that will create some of the reasons why is the department of education important in the human society regardless of country or geographical location:
- The department of education oversees the teaching and learning of children in early years’ centers and in primary schools, as well as young people under the age of 19 in secondary education, sixth form centers and colleges.
- It also supports professionals who work with children and young people and helps those who are disadvantaged to achieve more.
- It is also a responsibility of the Department for Education to ensure local services protect and support children.
- Originally, the department’s role was to collect information about the nation’s schools, but it was demoted to an Office of Education in 1868 since people feared that the department had too much control over local schools. Federal education offices remained small and were housed within different larger agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services.
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- Through its many initiatives, it provides funding and support to students and schools. Its goal is to expand access to education for underserved student populations and improve the quality of education for all students.
- The Department manages direct federal financial aid for students through the Office of Federal Student Aid, and funds programs that improve the quality of education in schools through White House initiatives and other offices.
- The department also includes the Institute of Education Sciences. The Institute collects and spreads knowledge by conducting research about America’s schools in order to focus national attention on educational issues.
- In addition, the department houses the Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for upholding legislation that prohibits discrimination in schools on the basis of sex, race, age, country of origin, or ability status.
- In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, sparking a nationwide push to fund science education programs so the U.S. could compete in the Space Race. In the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” policy led to the creation of educational programs for low-income students.
- The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed in 1965 to provide funding to school districts with a large low-income population in order to close academic achievement gaps between poor and wealthy students. This act is still reauthorized every five years.
