Ensure social mobility for talent from all segments

I agree in principle with the writer of “High achievers create more opportunities for all” (Aug 28). In principle, we need gifted political and business leaders to keep the social, political and economic system running.

Precisely because we need many talented people, we must ensure that talent from all segments of the population is identified, and not only from the well-to-do segment.

When the well-off use their endowment to move ahead of their peers, it distorts the identification of talent; this is why people are unhappy with “parentocracy”. We must be watchful to ensure social mobility.

In many other countries, one of the most natural ways for the rich to ensure their offspring’s well-being is to ensure that the poor remain poor. In countries where only private education offers quality, it is unsurprising that wealthy dynasties are perpetuated. Elsewhere, connections can help secure lucrative internships in businesses that give one’s children work experience that is sought after.

In such countries, as long as the poor never have enough money to lift themselves out of poverty, as long as the upper class monopolise important businesses and political connections, they can ensure their offspring’s success for a long time.

It is one thing to be fair to everyone, but another to follow the biological imperative. I wrote in “Try as we might, it’s futile to battle ‘parentocracy’” (Aug 21) that distortions will always exist — because of this biological imperative.

However, we must keep them to a minimum. While we should not be jealous of everyone who gets admitted to top institutions, we should continually ask ourselves if our society still offers others the same possibility.