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- Title
Meritocracy: A Remedy to Addressing Social Injustices in Selecting Students to Public Higher Education in Malawi?
- Authors
Dzimbiri, Mastano N.; Malin, Joel R.
- Abstract
This essay analyzes whether an ostensibly merit-based policy of selecting students for public higher education can act as a remedy to ameliorate social injustices in Malawi's education system. We address this question through the lens of equity based on a broader discussion of ethnicity in Malawi. The paper is organized in the following sections. First, we provide an overview of the geography of Malawi. This is followed by a detailed review of the literature on the educational system focusing on access and equity between the predecessor quota system and the current merit-based policy. The article concludes by arguing that the merit-based policy is very likely to perpetuate rather than ameliorate social injustices in education, as the future of students accessing public higher education is in jeopardy if they have attended under-resourced schools. Therefore, we strongly recommend that the Malawi government consider re-adopting the quota system, which if designed carefully could serve to address social injustices in access to higher education.
- Subjects
MALAWI; HIGHER education; SOCIAL injustice; MERITOCRACY; VIRTUE; FAIRNESS; SOCIALIZATION; EDUCATIONAL literature; FREEDOM of information
- Publication
Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 2023, Vol 15, Issue 4, p106
- ISSN
2151-0393
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.32674/jcihe.v15i4.5541