Discipline, AI and college accreditation: Trump's new executive orders regarding education

President Donald Trump signed a set of executive orders Wednesday that seek to reform the U.S. education system and update job training. The measures range from changes to school discipline to integrating artificial intelligence into education and modernizing college accreditation processes.

School discipline: An end to previous policies

One of the orders reverses guidelines under the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden based on the so-called "equity" ideology that promoted race-differentiated disciplinary measures. The new policy instructs the Department of Education to develop guidelines focused on individual behavior, review previous Title VI research and prevent organizations that promote ideological practices from receiving federal funds.

"President Trump is taking historic and commonsense action to boost school safety standards. Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.

Boost to artificial intelligence in the classroom

Another order promotes education in artificial intelligence from preschool through technical training, with the goal of preparing the next generation for a world powered by this technology. An AI Education Task Force is established and a Presidential Challenge is launched to recognize advances in the area. Federal agencies must develop resources, train teachers and encourage AI-related job training programs in the next 90 to 120 days.

Reforming the college accreditation system

Trump also signed an order to reform the higher education accreditation system, criticizing accreditors for imposing standards based on "diversity, equity and inclusion" policies that he describes as discriminatory. The measure instructs the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to sanction accreditors that promote these approaches, and proposes new principles that prioritize academic freedom, intellectual diversity and educational quality.

Transparency in foreign funding to universities

Another order demands greater control over foreign funds received by universities, forcing them to disclose the origin and use of these resources as a condition for accessing federal funds. It is ordered to strengthen the enforcement of current law, facilitate public access to information and coordinate actions among agencies to investigate and sanction irregularities.

Modernizing employment and job training

Finally, Trump signed an order seeking to align federal training programs with the needs of a reindustrialized economy, prioritizing technical and well-paying jobs. Current programs will be reviewed to eliminate ineffective ones and expand registered apprenticeships, with a goal of exceeding one million new apprentices. Alternative credentials to the college degree will also be promoted, AI will be integrated into job training, and greater transparency in results will be demanded.