I refer to the letter “Beware overcompensating in rush to recognise less academically inclined” (Jan 8).

Meritocracy is the notion of fair opportunities for people from different social strata.

In China, the civil service examination was a meritocratic practice by which candidates not of the nobility could progress to the civil service. In later years, however, wealthy noble families bribed their sons’ way through to the civil service, thence strengthening their political influence and wealth.

This is an example of how elitism defeated the idea of fair opportunities in imperial China, even for the poor, and of social mobility through the civil service exams.

In Singapore, the rich do not bribe their way through exams. But they can send their children to better tuition or provide them with a more conducive environment for studying.

While there are those who make it to the top by sheer luck or hard work and not in any way by their wealth, those who go on to “lesser” institutions seem to be generally from the lower end of the social strata.

This does not mean they are not intelligent. They may not have done well in their exams, and the majority of each cohort do not make it to top junior colleges. But they and the elites who become political or corporate leaders contribute equally to society.

If I think of it in terms of the human body, the non-elites would be the organs and the elite leadership would be the conscious mind, which controls voluntary actions such as walking.

Meritocracy is good, but let us not overdo it that it becomes laissez-faire elitism. Giving scholarships to polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students does not undermine our meritocracy, as these are not just given to anybody but to deserving students from these institutions.

In fact, they strengthen the original notion of meritocracy by levelling the playing field. Those in elite junior colleges are offered a lot more prestigious scholarships, even by overseas organisations. From youth, we have been taught to help those in need; we should advocate for those who are less fortunate.