Razib Khan gets to the point in a wonderful way. Every time standard intelligence testing comes under attack, the people most benefitted are not the poor, the disfavoured or the outsiders, but the classes that are already privileged. No competition is allowed to come from the capable but unconnected, the poor who have talent, or the outsiders with sharp brains. It is a clsoing of opportunities in the name of equality of outcomes.
Razib writes:
“Tests are imperfect. But what is the alternative? Over the past few years graduate schools have been removing the GRE as a requirement for admission. What will the consequence be? If the history of China is any guide, those with connections and pedigree will benefit. Without a hard-to-fake entrance exam, recommendations from those you trust will loom large again. The abolition of the GRE will be a back door through which the “letter of introduction” returns. Who will be hurt by this? Who will benefit? There are many answers here, but one thing seems obvious: those without connections will suffer. International students. Those from working-class backgrounds. Non-traditional older students trying to turn their life around with the benefit of hindsight. When academics rely on networks of those they already know, the circle of inclusion will begin to narrow. Ironically, attempts to “foster inclusion” by removing standardized testing will inevitably constrict the space of those included.”
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