Merit should rule, not a predetermined quality. I agree. It's just that, having had a hand in education (professionally), I'm fully aware that assessments are not accurate. Many abilities are not measurable. Just give people a chance to prove themselves. If they cannot perform, they must be redirected. Not only are many abilities not measurable, but bias inevitably enters into every assessment. Just give people a chance to fail--or succeed. I've seen some surprising outcomes in my time.