Meritocracy is a Myth in Australian Education System Assignment 2022

Meritocracy is a Myth in Australian Education System
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

Education of Australia is considered to be one of the most inaccessible,
wealthy and exclusive in the world (Gomes, 2015). Australia is a home for
some of the best schools and universities like University of Melbourne,
University of Sydney, Monash University, ANZ School, Ascham School etc.
Schools are universally considered as meritocratic institutions as here, each and
every students are treated equally and all of them get equal opportunity to
success if they possess that ability and effort. This paper shall elaborate on
presenting an argumentative essay on whether meritocracy is a myth in relation
to the education system in Australia.
According to Mijs (2016), the idea of meritocracy is all about a system
where the talented are chosen and are moved ahead depending upon their
achievements. It is something that represents a vision where privilege and
power are allocated by the merit of an individual and not by the social origins
(Clycq, Ward Nouwen & Vandenbroucke, 2014). However, inspired by the idea
of meritocracy, there are many people who are committed towards a view of
how the hierarchies of status and money in today’s world should be organised.
People think that jobs should not go to the ones who have pedigree or
connections, but to the ones who are best suitable and qualified for them,
regardless to whatever background they belong to. It is to note that in Australia,
the Idea of meritocracy is expressed in near about every Australian values.
Australians believe in “fair go” and they favours the concept that everybody

should have equal right and opportunity to improve their lives as well as to
chase the rewards on the basis of their hard work and talent. They are highly
enthusiastic regarding their equality of opportunities as a means of ensuring
fairer society but never as an eager for pursuing the goals of equality. According
to Kim and Choi (2017), “although the principles of meritocracy are questions,
it still remains the central feature of the ‘Australian Dream’ where it is a
dominant ideology deeply embedded within the practices and beliefs of
American culture”.
It is to note that the system of education is viewed differently by different
sociologists. While talking regarding this system, many of the sociologists refer
to the forms of education where people get to known about the secondary
socialisation, relearning the values and norms that are already taught during the
primary socialisation in one’s family (Dyndahl et al., 2014). It is considered to
be an agent of social control where the children are learned for conforming to
the expectations of the societies through a hidden curriculum. The education
system of Australia is routinely kept separate from the other departments of
government. However, this is not how the life actually works here despite of the
fact that Australians believe in equality and fairness. The academic attainment
and opportunity do not prevails in a vacuum that is enclosed within the gates of
school. Australia is a country that is highly serious regarding genuine equal
opportunity and it needs to re-evaluate the many other different areas that foster