President Donald Trump has threatened to cut funding for US schools if they refuse to open in autumn due to concerns over coronavirus.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Trump said having schools reopened would be "important for children & families," and accused Democrats of wanting to keep them closed for political reasons.
In a separate tweet, he also dismissed the “very tough & expensive guidelines” issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), saying they asked schools “to do very impractical things.” Within hours of the tweet, the White House announced the CDC would be issuing new recommendations in the next few days.
Leading members of the education sector have hit back at the remarks.
"Nothing that Donald Trump has said in the last 48 hours has been safe or responsible," said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, in an interview with CNN.
Under US law the president cannot unilaterally cut federal support for schools. The federal government only provides supplementary funding for school systems in the country - the majority of funding and control lies with states. But President Trump could restrict relief funding for schools or refuse to sign education grants and bailout in future.
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