Meritocracy is a myth, but be aware that education should not be given up on.

Meritocracy is accepted as the ideal, where individuals are rewarded based on their intellectual ability. However, wealthy parents have manipulated college admissions, where meritorious applicants are not favored.

Assumptions on Meritocracy

• Intelligence is largely genetic
• Unequally distributed
• Value cannot be placed onto something that an individual has no control of
• “Education can’t do much to change the situation.”

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Data of IQ inheritance

“In fact, the scientific consensus is that about 50% of intelligence, as measured by IQ, is inherited.”

Intelligence varies among individuals.

Data of IQ with Education

There is evidence that education has increased people’s intelligence:

“Between the end of World War II and the recent past, IQ increased by about three points per decade in developed nations (the IQ scale has been repeatedly readjusted to account for that).”

THIS IQ CHART IS JUST AN APPROXIMATION, NOT EXACT DATA, OF THE EVIDENCE ABOVE. IT IS USED MORE FOR VISUALIZATION THAN PRECISION:

There was better and more widespread education, where intelligence can be boosted by education.

Analysis

• Teachers believe that students should learn through “discovery.”
• Knowing facts is necessary for learning

“But scientific evidence indicates that knowing facts is a necessary foundation for learning…”

• Educators would dismiss these principles due to their deeply ingrained beliefs.

“What all this means is that our education system really only works for those able to educate themselves—or, more likely, to get whatever support they need outside school.”

As a result, this education system works for children of the elite because they have support from outside.

Relating to Meritocracy

Often, it ends up in a situation where resources are not given to the students. However, there is a lot of bias in educators because of their deeply ingrained beliefs. Educators may believe that students must learn through “discovery,” but facts are crucial for students to know. Students, though, can use outside resources; for example, wealthy parents can give tutoring to help students gain more factual knowledge and use it well for school. The education system can do a much better job in educating students, and without these teachers educating, particular students who are wealthier will have a better advantage; proving meritocracy is a myth and demonstrates that the education system has to improve.

IQ is inherited somewhat, though education boosts intelligence, and students can be much better but at a massive disadvantage due to the systematic failure of education.