president s speech

president s speech

President Barack Obama plans to deliver to America’s pupils on Tuesday turn out to be in the mainstream of back-to-school remarks the previous four presidents delivered in classrooms. The White House posted the president’s prepared text on Monday, and it includes a variety of fatherly advice on persevering, finishing school and pursuing their dreams, plus his admonition that they’re “no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude … no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school … no excuse for not trying.” Dan Pfeiffer, White House deputy communications director, said: “As people can see from the text, this is a completely non-political speech that is in line with the tradition of presidents of both parties speaking directly to students about the importance of taking responsibility for their education.”

It turns out that Obama’s four most recent predecessors made remarks during fall visits to schools, many of them similar in tone and content to the script to be delivered at a high school in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday. President Ronald Reagan told junior-high students they were living in a "time of unlimited possibilities, bounded only by the size of your imagination, the depth of your heart, and the character of your courage." President George H.W. Bush told another group of junior-high students: "I'm not here to tell you what to do or what to think. Maybe you're accustomed to adults talking about you and at you; well, today, I'm here to talk to you and challenge you. Education matters, and what you do today, and what you don't do can change your future." President Bill Clinton said teachers need to give students a "high degree of self-awareness and an ability to learn and absorb and grow throughout a lifetime." And President George W. Bush used remarks at a magnet high school to reinforce his campaign message that "every student needs to be challenged."