US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday aimed at initiating the process of dismantling the Department of Education, two administration officials confirmed to CNN.

This move fulfills a key promise from his campaign to reduce the federal role in education.

The signing is expected to take place at a White House event on Thursday afternoon.

While fully closing the Department of Education would require Congressional approval, the executive order will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states," according to one of the sources.

During his campaign, Trump vowed to dismantle the agency, calling it a symbol of federal overreach and associating it with broader cultural issues.

This expected move comes after the Department of Education announced earlier this month plans to cut its workforce by nearly 50%, laying off approximately 1,300 employees, in addition to offering voluntary buyouts to hundreds more.