By Anil Netto
In the first century AD, the elites comprised the Romans and the local political and religious elites. In this context, Jesus’ message provided hope to the powerless and the meek (the poorer Jewish peasants, the women and the children).

Catholic Social Teaching teaches us that every human being must be allowed to live a life of dignity.

But unless, each child is given equal opportunity to grow, develop and experience the fullness of life, the playing field as we know it cannot be considered level.

Today, it has become fashionable for many to push for meritocracy as a means of allowing equal opportunities for all.

In a meritocracy, the top jobs would go to those who have demonstrated talent and who have the ability or merit to do the job. Society in turn rewards with position or high remuneration those who have shown such talent and ability.

We are told all that matters is hard work and the effort one puts in to succeed.

My school even had a motto Labor omnia vincit or “Hard work conquers all”. It is common sense that if we persevere hard enough, we may overcome even the most difficult of odds.

But that does not answer the question: is the playing field really level? Even if there is equal opportunity in the job market or placements in institutions of higher learning based on academic results, the playing field may not be level — even if, on the surface, it appears to be so.

Studies in the US have shown that generally speaking, the wealthier a student’s family income is, the higher the student’s score is in the SAT standardised college entrance tests. (economix.blogs.nytimes.com)

Another study shows academic test score gaps between white and black children in the US — which could be explained by the impact of the home environment e.g. being underweight at birth, having low family income in early childhood and being born to a teenage mother.

Yet another research study has shown that even the standard of pre-natal and perinatal care an infant receives could have a bearing on how well he or she fares later in life. Researchers in Canada found that “the period of early child development is equal to or, in some cases, greater in importance for the quality of the next generation than the periods children and youth spend in education or post secondary education”.

So before we argue for a level playing field, we should be aware of all the advantages that a life of privilege brings. Infants and children whose parents do not have the means or access to early childcare development opportunities are already at a disadvantage.

Think of how an infant born to working class families is deprived of all the early childhood development that his or her counterpart from a wealthier family would receive. Think of how the lower-income group often do not have a computer at home (much less computer classes), the extra tuition, the music, dance, drama and art classes, the parental guidance with studies and homework, the stimulating recreational activities, the access to non-academic books. How can they possibly compete with children from better-off families? Is the playing field level?

That’s not all. The better schools tend to be located in urban areas, usually not far from where the elite and the professionals live. Increasingly, more of the elite and the professionals are sending their children to international schools where the pupils-toteacher ratio is much smaller — thus allowing for greater interaction and more personalised eduation. (Not to mention a system which encourages more independent research and learning rather than our examoriented rote-learning system).

As soon as these pupils complete secondary school, they are off to the best colleges overseas. (Now, these pupils should be distinguished from those from middleclass backgrounds who go overseas because they are unable to secure the courses of their choice locally — but even so, children from working class families are denied such an option unless they perform spectacularly well enough to qualify for scholarships.)

Of course, there are the success stories: those who succeed in breaking out of the poverty cycle and eventually enter the ranks of the elite and privileged through sheer hard work and perseverance — and all credit to them. But isn’t it the case, in overall terms, that children of professionals and the elites and those from urban areas tend to do better than those from underprivileged backgrounds?

A society which has a wide gap between the rich and the poor is likely to perpetuate a cycle of privilege. And then there are the cosy old boys’ networks of the elite and the business/family connections that provide their offspring with more “cables” to pull.

How can the playing field be level unless the quality of life and the opportunities provided for infants and children are also equalised — so that children from lowincome families are not at a disadvantage?

If we really want to level the playing field and ensure broad ranging meritocracy, we need to take a broader perspective and look at not only needs-based affirmative action — as opposed to race-based affirmative action — but also the institutions that nurture and care for our young.

If we are serious about socio-economic justice, we have to do everything possible to ensure that each infant and child — whether in urban or rural areas — receives the best education and health care during his or her formative years.

It means allowing parents enough time to interact with their children. Unfortunately, this will not be possible if we don't tackle the wide income inequality in our society. To do so, it is necessary that workers are given a minimum wage so that they can provide a life of dignity for their families.

If they are given a minimum living wage, then parents will be less pressured to work overtime or take on an additional job to provide for their families, and there will be less need for both parents to go out and work. More income, less pressure at work and shorter working hours will also allow time for parents to interact with their children especially in their crucial, early formative ages.

And only then can we say the playing field has been levelled.