The idea of free education is quickly becoming a controversial and much debated political topic throughout the world. Social media and the internet have provided people with a platform in which to express their opinions about whether or not education should be free for all without compromising quality. This topic originally interested me because I come from a country where education is free and where everyone has the opportunity to go to college or university regardless of economic status. In fact, I am in the United States right now because the government of Saudi Arabia has a multi-million dollar scholarship program that gives Saudi students the opportunity to study in the U.S. and other countries free of cost. The picture below, which was taken from the website of the British Green Party (“What We Stand For”), shows one side of the free education debate. The picture represents a policy statement on behalf of the British Green Party, which summarizes their position on the issue, which is also expressed in detail on the website (“Quality Education”). The picture uses the appeal to ethos, pathos and logos in order to earn the viewers’ interest and their support.
The picture states the party’s clear support for free education, which is one of the measures they promise to implement if they win the elections. In their article on the topic, the Green Party argues that that education has become more of a business enterprise rather than a basic human right, as it should be (“Quality Eductation”). In addition, the cost of learning and education is placing an unnecessary economic burden on students who end up owing the government large amounts of money. The right to education is quickly turning into a privilege for those who can actually afford it. For example, I recently learned that my friend had to take out over $100,000 to help pay for her master’s degree at Georgetown University. I asked her to tell me more. She said that she was able to pay for her bachelor’s degree through government grants based on her income and age. She also attended community college where she paid for tuition on her own by working full time. Her experience gives a prime example of how complicated the current U.S. education system is and also what works and what doesn’t work. She is in extreme debt and will likely be in debt or a large portion of her life because of the loans she was forced to take out for only 2 years of schooling. While Georgetown is considered one of the top universities in the world and quality of education was definitely not compromised with her decision to attend there, she has expressed concern about whether or not the debt she has was worth it.
The picture under discussion uses the appeal to ethos in order to enhance credibility. First, the ethos of the persons who had the picture created is pre-established, because the Green Party is a well-known organization. The picture includes the words “free education” in large font, as a hash tag in order to be clear and easy to understand. The blurred background does not distract the attention of the viewers while the blue tone looks professional and formal thus increasing the credibility of the party. However, the party needs to convince the audience that they mean what they say, and that the support for free education is a core belief for the party. They consequently use the hashtag “#freeeducation to establish their credibility, because their main audience is young people who care about education. Both young people and their parents know how to use social media networks to speak up according to their beliefs, and this hashtag suggests that the party is ‘speaking their language’. The belief that free education is possible is a shared belief between the Green Party and its audience. The Green party does not want to convince the audience, they only want to establish their ethos by ensuring their audience that they also stand firm in support for free education. In a promotional video on their website, the party explains at large the information which is reduced to essence in the picture. The video states that education is a political choice, not a necessity (“Green Party Vision”), because the country has resources to make education free. Governments are able to subsidize the cost of tuition fees at universities and colleges through higher income tax (“Green Party Vision).
Many people who are against free education argue that if the U.S. were to adopt a free education system that the income tax rates would skyrocket. In addition, some may fear that the quality of education would decrease. In an article from “The Economist”, Germany is given as an example where no education fees leads to poor quality of education. In the article, the author says that, “Universities embraced fees as a way to improve teaching conditions ( “Mediocre” par. 4). In this picture, there is an emphasis on the fact that, even in lack of fees, there would be “quality education”. This is an appeal to logos because it refers to a practical aspect of the idea, which needs to be considered. Under the free education hashtag in large font, the explanation for the idea is clearly stated, in order for the audience to understand what this idea implies. Thus, the policy promises no tuition fees, and high quality education, thus suggesting that these ideas can work together, despite what opposition might say.
Finally the appeal to pathos is established by means of the background of the image. The background offers the blurred image of what it supports, students in the classroom, studying. Supporters of free education promote a system that will help liberate society of a lot of its primary problems such as unemployment, hunger and poverty ultimately leading to an increased quality of life. Other benefits they promote are that it allows students to focus on learning, rather than impending tuition payments and better governance by ensuring more people are making more informed decisions at election time. One of the most common arguments in support of free education is the idea of equal opportunity and allowing everyone the chance to achieve their full potential. In doing so, society will unlock talented and intelligent minds that may not have had the opportunity if it weren’t for free education. It is significant that the image is that of a female student, because historically, women have been discriminated in higher education. While the image is very fade, it is nevertheless clear that the student who can be distinguished in the image is white. This means that the party addresses its White citizens mainly, ignoring the racial minorities, who are more likely to suffer from discriminatory practices.
The picture I chose for this project is part of a larger marketing campaign by the British Green Party which is being used to display the foundational beliefs of the political party in an clear, easy to read way. In choosing a “hashtag” they are inviting people to join in on the conversation about free education. The image appeals to ethos, logos and pathos by creating a message that represents the quintessence of their belief, namely that quality education is possible in the absence of tuition fees, and that this is a necessity for the larger White population also, not only for minorities, who have lower access to education. The simple yet effective image is effective in raising the public’s interest in the campaign, and attracting the attention of young people.
Work Cited
“Quality Education, No Tuition Fees”. Green Party, n.d. Web. 10 March 2016.
“Green Party Vision for Quality Education no Tuition Fees”. Online video clip. Green Party, Green Party of England and Wales, 15 April 2015. Web. 10 March 2016.
“Mediocre, But At Least They’re Free”. The Economist, 30 June 2011. Web. 10 March 2016.
“Quality Education, No Tuition Fees”. Green Party, n.d. Web. 10 March 2016.
