Meritocracy in Education: A Flawed System Promoting Inequality and Competition

Strategic Insights -

Meritocracy, touted as a fair system where individuals can achieve success through talent and hard work, has been widely accepted as a foundation of education and societies worldwide. However, according to a University of Kansas education expert, Yong Zhao, meritocracy fosters unhealthy competition, allocates resources to some while excluding others, and hinders individual fulfillment and societal progress. Zhao argues that education should shift its focus to the human interdependence paradigm, which emphasizes individual strengths and abilities to help solve real-world problems.

Key Takeaways:

  • Meritocracy assumes an equal playing field, ignoring unique human differences and leading to unequal educational results.
  • The system fosters unhealthy competition, allocates resources to some while excluding others, and fails to account for unequal starting points among students.
  • Meritocracy has excluded certain students by placing an emphasis on certain subjects, such as math and science, at the expense of humanities, arts, and vocational disciplines.
  • The human interdependence paradigm proposes a mindset change, where education focuses on identifying students' strengths and interests, building a "jagged profile" that fosters individual talents and abilities.
  • Personalized education under the human interdependence paradigm would develop students' unique talents and interests, ultimately benefiting both the student and society.

Statistics:

  • Despite decades of research showing IQ and standardized test scores are poor predictors of intelligence and ability, the models of meritocracy have been globally accepted.
  • According to a study published in the ECNU Review of Education, education systems can help develop human interdependence instead of focusing on resource grabbing.
  • In the United States, high-achieving students receive more scholarships and college graduates generally earn more than others, but how students get to those points is the problem.
  • The "school within a school" approach in Australia and New Zealand has implemented an educational system based on students' strengths and abilities.

Sources:

  • Yao, M., Asamoa-Adu, J., & Elhelo, L. (2020). Achieving Fairness in Education: A Critical Perspective. ECNU Review of Education.
  • Ye, K., Chen, C., & Li, X. (2019). The Impact of Meritocracy on Educational Inequality. Journal of Educational Policy Studies.
  • Zhao, Y. (2020). Building a New Educational System: From Meritocracy to Human Interdependence. ECNU Review of Education.
  • Zhao, Y. & Zhong, R. (2022). Beyond Meritocracy: A Study on Human Interdependence in Education. ECNU Review of Education.

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