John Marsh's Education Is Not An Economic Panacea

In the article “Education is not an Economic Panacea”, John Marsh states his argument: education is not the solution for economic and social problems (917). Just like all the individuals around him, he once thought that an education was what led people out of poverty, and away from social ills like pregnancy, crime, unemployment, and economic inequality (Marsh 915). After working with low-income adults who wanted to pursue a higher education, Marsh came to the conclusion that education won’t solve these issues stated, these issues need to be resolved, and then that will improve educational outcomes (918). Marsh’s argument has been brought up only by other writers who agree with him, but only rarely, and most people would actually believe the opposite. In order for his argument to be as powerful as he wants it to be, he needs to prove it effectively. Marsh mainly uses evidence from his personal experience, and

However, he uses ethos, pathos, and logos to improve his argument. He uses ethos by using examples from his students, showing how an education didn’t really resolve any of their problems. He uses pathos when he is talking about his students, and what he went through; it draws in an audience, and makes the reader feel sympathy for the students. Finally, he uses logos by basically saying an education has not helped these people, it is not a solution to economic and social problems. Despite the fact that most of his argument is opinion and personal experience, Marsh is able to seem trustworthy because this is something that he has seen and been through firsthand. Still, it is important to look at this article, and understand that this is what happened with John Marsh, and the Odyssey Project, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will turn out the same way for everyone. As Marsh says it did help him when his family was falling under the poverty line