In 1931, author Bertolt Brecht offered a tribute to learning in his poem “In Praise of Learning.” Close to a decade later, President Barack Obama gave a speech to students throughout the nation on the importance of education. Despite their difference in audience and era, the two works share many ideas on the value of education and the responsibility that each person has to educate themselves.
One of Brecht’s main ideas is that studying will be useful for everyone. He urges people of all situations to take up a book. The knowledge that is gained “will be a weapon.” Similarly, n Barack Obama’s 2009 speech, he focuses on the idea that each student should take responsibility for their own education. He says the following on the subject: “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.” Though he notes that parents, teachers, and school administrators each play an important role in ensuring that students get a proper education and are given opportunities to enrich their lives and learn, he says that students are still responsible for their own success. I think that it was very important for Obama to make this point. Though he knew that there were many elements of the educational system that were unfair, he did not want students to get discouraged. He also knew that even if he could fix what was unfair, the system would never be successful if its students did not try.
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An essential idea of Brecht’s poem is the idea that learners should not be afraid to ask questions, even to themselves. “Never believe on faith,” he extols. Each part must be understood. People should not merely accept what they are told, but question for themselves, and question even their own beliefs. Along the same lines, Obama discusses how going to school and taking the steps to learn a skill can be difficult. He provides his own personal anecdote about being taught by family members when he lived in Indonesia and couldn’t afford to go to school with the other kids. Yet, he says that no matter what someone wants to do, they will need an education to do it. “No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work” he says. He encourages each student to make a goal for the school year and to work hard to achieve that goal and to feel good about the work and the success that they see as a result. Both authors promise students that despite their circumstances, if they try for their goals, they will be able to achieve in school and beyond.
While Brecht explicitly says that this will be important for those who lead, he still extends his exhortation to everyone. This is clear through his repetition of his mandate which he repeats to include “man,” “pensioner,” “wife,” “[the] homeless,” and “[those] who freeze.” On the other hand, Obama mainly talks about how those who traditionally students, the youth of the nation, should strive for better education. Additionally, while Obama does mention nontraditional schooling, he focuses primarily on traditional school. While Brecht urges people to find a school, he also seems to be advocating a broader notion of the idea of education rather than just formalized schooling. This is clear from one of his central ideas, that “You must prepare to take command now!” Through Obama’s examples, he illustrates a similar idea. He makes the point that education prepares students to fulfill their dreams and enhance their lives in all aspects.
I believe that both authors provide encouragement to seek out better education. Both authors urge people in all situations, including trying backgrounds to take responsibility for their education. Both also encourage students to challenge themselves in their studies. And, both promise a better life because of education. I find both promises and the different focuses of the two to be inspirational.
