The president's speech to schoolchildren
It's deju vu day in America's classrooms, as evidenced by the president's speech on education, broadcast to schools from coast to coast. Here's an excerpt:
"Progress starts when we ask more of ourselves, our schools and, yes, you, our students. ... We should be first in the world in math and science. ... Every American child should start school ready to learn; every American adult should be literate; and every American school should be safe and drug-free. ...
"Unless things change ... as many as one in four of today's eighth graders will not graduate with their class. In some cities, the dropout rate is twice that high or higher. Imagine: Out of a total of nearly 3 million of your fellow classmates nationwide, an army of more than half a million dropouts.
"I ask every student watching today: Look around you. Count four students. Start with yourself. No one dreams of becoming a dropout, but far too many do. Which one of you won't make it through school?
"The fact is, every one of you can. Let's make a pact then right here. Let's work to see that 5 years from now, you and your friends will be more than sad statistics. Give yourself a decent shot at your dreams. Stay in school. Get that diploma."
-- President George H.W. Bush, on Oct. 1, 1991, in remarks to students and faculty at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, D.C. His remarks were broadcast live by CNN, PBS, the Mutual Broadcasting System and NBC radio. There is no clear record of anyone having called for a boycott of schools that showed his speech.
