With people getting accepted into colleges like Stanford University for writing the exact same phrase over and over again on their admissions paper, what I am about to tell you should come as no surprise! Meritocracy is all but dead in this country and it is quickly being replaced with participation trophies and the systematic dumbing down of society. Those who seem to be suffering from this the most are our youth. Children are growing up in a world where the value of hard work and personal perseverance is overshadowed by woke popularity contests and vast amounts of virtue-signaling. Ironically, many of the steps that have been implemented to create what is claimed to be a ‘fair and equal playing field for minorities’ is doing exactly the opposite.
Several schools across the country are taking away Honors and Advanced Placement courses from high school students. The proponents of this move are calling it a ‘sound, pedagogical approach to education’ and this is far from the truth. Many parents have voiced their opposition to this move, citing that their children are not only being penalized for having above-average learning skills and intelligence, but they are no longer being challenged in their courses due to the change. Again, while the change is purported to be supporting equal opportunity and fairness to minority groups, all this does is damage the minorities who would have had a chance for higher advancement or progress and are now being marginalized even further.
We must ask ourselves: how does taking away advanced courses for students do a thing to help them? How does this empower students? How does this contribute in a positive way to furthering their education? Does trying to create an equal environment for all do more harm than good? How in the world does citing low enrollment from black/latino communities, and subsequently taking away their higher learning availability, do anything to help them? All this is doing is creating further divide, dumbing down students, and creating a scenario where kids are being shoved into a box that makes them all the same and leaves no room for growth and opportunity.
Sure, the adage of ‘get your kids out of public school’ can be applied here. That may not be an option for everyone, and unfortunately, it doesn’t do anything to fix or correct the issue for the children who are still attending public school. Those kids will still suffer due to the short-sighted stupidity of adults who seek to use the kids as pawns for social justice. Parents in several schools have pushed back against this woke agenda and have successfully had the decision to eliminate these courses reversed. Parents: pay attention as this trend continues. If you still have your kids in school, do whatever it takes to make sure they are getting the most out of their education. Ask questions, attend school board meetings, make sure the voices of both you and your children are heard! It is imperative that his fast-spreading idea of anti-meritocracy is stomped out before it is allowed to run rampant.
SOURCES:
https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/us/stanford-application-black-lives-matter-trnd/index.html
https://nypost.com/2023/02/21/culver-city-high-school-cancels-honors-classes-for-racial-equity/
https://dailycaller.com/2023/02/17/school-districts-honors-classes-equity/
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/wsj-school-districts-eliminate-honors-classes/3629509
https://www.foxnews.com/media/parents-speak-against-school-canceling-honors-classes-name-equity