What’s all the hubbub, bub?

September 9th, 2009

education Yesterday, President Obama went to a high school in Arlington, Virginia, and gave a speech that was televised on C-Span aimed at school children across America. For some reason, quite a few people were upset about this, arguing that the President is forcing some sort of hidden political agenda. I wonder if it was mostly parents who didn’t care enough to read the speech online before deciding if they liked it or not.

I, personally, don’t understand what all the fuss was about. I read the speech, then I watched C-Span to see if he really stuck to the prepared speech, or launched off on a tangent to brainwash our children. Well, he stuck to the speech and it was a wonderful message – one that our children (and parents) need to hear and take to heart. I wonder if parents were upset because the president said they have a responsibility as well in the education of their children.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

Some parents don’t think they themselves have any role and push that responsibility off to the schools and the teachers. Well, sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. Teachers and schools can only do so much, but they need parents to reinforce the importance of education and their children’s responsibility. If children don’t get that reinforcement from home, they are less likely to succeed in school.

But, the president didn’t stop there. He put the bulk of the responsibility for education right where it belongs – on the students themselves.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

Students must realize that there are going to be obstacles to overcome in every part of their lives. Part of their education is learning how to overcome these obstacles in order to improve their lives. They may face adversity in their lives during their young years, but they should strive to overcome and take their education seriously and take responsibility. They need to do their homework. They need to study hard. They need to get good grades to improve their chances of going to college.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

I do not agree with most things our president is doing, but I do agree with the words in this speech. I agree with him that individuals need to stop blaming everyone else for their troubles, pick themselves up, and take responsibility for improving their lives and not rely on government handouts.

Maybe that’s why this speech drew such ire – people are afraid of taking responsibility as the president is asking them to.