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Raeann Ramlal
Mrs. Robar
Grade 12 English
15/04/2024

"INDIVIDUALS BENEFITTING FROM POSITIONS OR THINGS BASED ON

FAVOURITISM AND NEPOTISM RATHER THAN MERIT"

It is disheartening for me to witness students reaping the benefits of readmissions to higher

levels of education. Through deceptive practices due to relationships held with

administrators, rather than on the basis of merit, some students enjoy opportunities that

should have been fruits of other students’ labour. My essay delves into instances where the

lives of some of my secondary school classmates, have been adversely affected by nepotism,

due to them not being readmitted to the higher level of education. I have a strong moral and

value system which obligates me to highlight this issue and bring to the forefront its adverse

effects on both the school and society.

Envision a situation where students, with equal ambitions and abilities, walk separate paths

due to the influence of relationships. Some of my classmates, lacking the required

connections, are deprived of readmission despite having met all the required criteria of the

school’s administration. Conversely, other classmates, who are deficient in the requisite

qualifications, are fortunate to be readmitted due to their status. This explicit distinction

highlights the prejudice that pervades in the Secondary school I attended for five years in

Trinidad, after graduating from my primary school, this reality shocked me as if lightning hit

me. However, I later learnt that this was the status quo in most of the denominational
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secondary schools in Trinidad, i.e the schools that funded by both the Government and their

respective religious boards.

This status quo goes way beyond my classmates. When worthy students are disregarded in

favour of those with dominant acquaintances, the integrity of the school is compromised.

Meritocracy was understood to be the school’s cornerstone. The erosion of this pillar results

in a deficiency of trust in the school by those who do not benefit from this unfair treatment.

Further, it creates disenchantment among those adversely affected, along with me due to my

value system. It results in demotivation while breeding a system of mediocrity.

The pervasiveness of relationships overriding merit in educational institutions aligns with the

general status quo within my society, where nepotism overrides the protocols of most

institutions. In the private sector individuals with good financial standing and those with

social status decide who gets what positions or benefits, in most instances this is based on

connections. Similarly, within the central government and state enterprises in Trinidad, some

politicians interfere with the grant of employment opportunities, the award of contracts, and

other financial opportunities to benefit their friends and family. As a consequence, qualified

individuals with no elite associations are deprived and left failing in the shadows, while the

small elite group continues to benefit from their connections. This culture creates

socioeconomic inequalities, stifles fair public advancement and declines the overall growth of

a country. These factors are concerning to my future well-being.

The status quo of relationships being the criteria to advance in my society diminishes the

principles of meritocracy which a country should abide by. A new culture of entitlement is
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bred and individuals are awarded benefits without earning them. As such, the fundamental

values of persistent hard work, commitment and professional skill sets become a thing of the

past, resulting in a stagnant society. This regression is very dangerous to the overall

advancement of the country especially when existing in a world with complex challenges like

the one I am presently in.

It is very important to initiate change in the status quo at both the school and societal levels to

treat this deeply ingrained issue. Transparency and equality should be engrained in the fabric

of the educational institution's selection processes, ensuring that merit remains the main

criterion for advancement. Concurrently, society, starting with me, needs to participate in

ensuring that awareness of this destructive practice and its effects are changed to allow for a

new and refreshed culture based on merit and integrity which can allow for a more objective

society.

The status quo of relationships and financial status allowing for advancement within the

school’s system is a bitter pill for me to swallow. Its consequences extend way beyond my

classmates who are denied readmission that they are rightfully entitled to. This systemic bias

diminishes the real fabric of my society. By bringing this issue to the forefront, I hope to

ignite conversations about the destruction that the present status quo of nepotism and

favouritism is causing in school systems as well as society. I would also like to lobby for this

status quo to be changed to allow for transparency, equality and meritocracy, and unitedly

attempt to achieve a future where this supersedes relationships and financial status, allowing

for an equitable society for citizens like me.