In a world controlled by nobility and wealth, the era of silver spoons and lavish dinners has given way to a more distinctive social divide — education. The upper class utilizes education in order to promote a new American caste system.
Since the establishment of higher education, the rich have been given a back door to obtaining professional degrees. Affluence affords many advantages, including higher education.
Aside from simply aiding in acceptance into academic institutions, wealth presents an open door to the many opportunities that follow. For example, the abysmal acceptance ratios at Ivy League institutions are in part influenced by the large role that alumni donors play. This takes shape in two ways — promoting a legacy system and further increasing the propensity of such a legacy system to segregate the poor from the rich.
The upper 1 percent therefore controls the most influential and powerful occupations. Many of these positions are held in Fortune 500 companies, government bureaucracies and hereditary organizations; in any case, each position holds considerable clout and controls millions (if not billions) of dollars.
The admissions standards of most universities and colleges are easily swayed by those who contribute to their endowments but otherwise have little reason to be granted merited admission. These admissions policies result in the decline of American education and put both corporate and public sectors in the hands of those who are simply incompetent.
Conversely, those who are not blessed with the good fortune of hailing from wealth are then excluded from opportunities to which they are rightfully entitled. Unfortunately he who pays the piper picks the tune.
Using endowments as a factor in admissions is identical to bribery and insider trading, which are both illegal. While this practice may be an open secret when it comes to admission into private institutions, things get shadier when financial stability plays a role in determining admission into public schools as well.
Public universities and colleges purport to be “institutions of equal opportunity.” In reality, many turn out to be anything but that. Money rules, and those with empty pockets are left hoping to secure one of the remaining open seats.
India is often viewed as having an elaborate caste system, but American education mirrors and frankly perpetuates many of these characteristics. Standing atop the caste are 1 percent of educated, affluent nobles, with less educated, less powerful classes left to fend for themselves. Of course the untouchables are the result of those who were driven from receiving a reasonable education primarily because they were not worthy.
In order to increase America’s international stature in education, admissions must be granted solely on academic merit, rather than a series of predisposed factors. Education lays the foundation for strengthening a society. In strengthening a citizenry, production and competency in the workforce are also improved.
It is important for education to be an equal opportunity, inalienable to every American no matter his or her financial situation. Merit is not a matter of who can give a bigger tip. Education is imperative in order to promote the longevity of society and pave the cracks that so often exist.