The Straits Times; Published on Sep 20, 2011
Strive for a fairer way to compete
I DISAGREE with Dr Khor Swee Kheng ("Meritocracy is the only way to tackle inequality fairly"; Sept 13) and concur with Mrs Nurhidayah Hassan-Le Neel ("Address the problems of meritocracy"; Sept 10) that meritocracy, in reality, remains a limited system that benefits those who have an economic head start and cultural capital.
Meritocracy does not help social inequality when the best candidate is chosen while unequal factors are ignored. In a basketball tournament, tall players have distinct advantages over short players. But the winning team is chosen based on the highest points scored. It does not address the inequality in physical height. Is such a system fair?
We can accept society is never equal, but we must strive to let everybody compete in a fairer way. We must first ensure the playing field is level so that everyone starts from the same line. The rest is left to the individual.
Paul Chan
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_714557.html
===========
Response at:
No comments:
Post a Comment