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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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Obama revs up school students
Source: Agencies |
September 9, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IN a pep talk that kept clear of politics, United States President Barack Obama yesterday challenged the nation's students to take pride and ownership in their education - and stick with it even if they don't like every class or must overcome tough circumstances at home.
"Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer," Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Washington and children watching the broadcast speech. "And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is."
Presidents often visit schools, and Obama was not the first one to offer a back-to-school address aimed at millions of students in every grade.
Yet this speech came with a dose of controversy, as several conservative organizations and many concerned parents warned Obama was trying to sell his political agenda. That concern was caused in part by an accompanying administration lesson plan encouraging students to "help the president," which the White House later revised.
Obama preceded his broad-scale talk with a meeting with Wakefield students, where at one point he advised them to "be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life."
Obama, accompanied by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, met with some 40 students gathered in a school library before the speech.
"When I was your age," Obama said, "I was a little bit of a goof-off. My main goal was to get on the varsity basketball team and have fun."
But he also said that not having a father at home "forced me to grow up faster."
The uproar over his speech followed him across the Potomac River, as his motorcade was greeted by a small band of protesters. One carried a sign exclaiming: "Mr President, stay away from our kids."
During his meeting inside, one young person asked why the country doesn't have universal health insurance. "I think we need it. I think we can do it," Obama replied.
The president said the country can afford to insure all Americans and that doing so will save money in the long run.
Obama is not the first president to give such a school-opening talk, but his plans seemed to almost immediately get plunged in controversy.
Critics accused him of overstepping his authority, and school districts in some areas decided not to provide their students access to his midday speech.
Duncan acknowledged yesterday that some of the prepared guidance for school officials included a suggestion that students could compose essays stating how they could help support Obama - an idea the education secretary acknowledged was wrongheaded.
"Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer," Obama told students at Wakefield High School in Washington and children watching the broadcast speech. "And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is."
Presidents often visit schools, and Obama was not the first one to offer a back-to-school address aimed at millions of students in every grade.
Yet this speech came with a dose of controversy, as several conservative organizations and many concerned parents warned Obama was trying to sell his political agenda. That concern was caused in part by an accompanying administration lesson plan encouraging students to "help the president," which the White House later revised.
Obama preceded his broad-scale talk with a meeting with Wakefield students, where at one point he advised them to "be careful what you post on Facebook. Whatever you do, it will be pulled up later in your life."
Obama, accompanied by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, met with some 40 students gathered in a school library before the speech.
"When I was your age," Obama said, "I was a little bit of a goof-off. My main goal was to get on the varsity basketball team and have fun."
But he also said that not having a father at home "forced me to grow up faster."
The uproar over his speech followed him across the Potomac River, as his motorcade was greeted by a small band of protesters. One carried a sign exclaiming: "Mr President, stay away from our kids."
During his meeting inside, one young person asked why the country doesn't have universal health insurance. "I think we need it. I think we can do it," Obama replied.
The president said the country can afford to insure all Americans and that doing so will save money in the long run.
Obama is not the first president to give such a school-opening talk, but his plans seemed to almost immediately get plunged in controversy.
Critics accused him of overstepping his authority, and school districts in some areas decided not to provide their students access to his midday speech.
Duncan acknowledged yesterday that some of the prepared guidance for school officials included a suggestion that students could compose essays stating how they could help support Obama - an idea the education secretary acknowledged was wrongheaded.
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