The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has eliminated $373 million in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training grants from the US Department of Education, citing a commitment to cutting government spending.
Among the 70 terminated grants was $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop a Cambodian youth enterprise programme.
The move follows DOGE’s broader crackdown on DEI-related funding, including the recent termination of $881 million in Department of Education contracts.
Additionally, state education departments have been ordered to remove DEI policies within 14 days or risk losing federal funding, reinforcing a stricter stance against race-based initiatives in education.
One grant was reportedly funding training for teachers to “engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to confront their own biases and racism, and develop asset-based anti-racist mindsets”, the cost-cutting department said.
The most recent round of spending cuts follows DOGE’s announcement of the termination of 89 additional DOE contracts worth $881 million, including over $100 million allocated to DEI grants.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
