Securing admission to higher education institutions often depends on the merits and academic ability of the students. Some argue that everyone should have equal opportunity to study in the university notwithstanding their knowledge and skills. I’m afraid I have to disagree with this argument and believe that admission should be merit-based.
Firstly, the most demanded courses often have limited seats, and therefore, all applicants cannot be admitted. This is unsurprising because universities are for advanced and specialized learning, unlike schools where all applicants are accepted. This leads to universities using certain selection criteria to qualify applicants such as academic qualifications and other skills to decide whether a student is eligible for admission. In doing this, universities can ensure only meritorious entry. For instance, a recent survey in Kenya has shown that less than 25% of those applying for medicine courses can secure a place for themselves.
Additionally, allowing all candidates to study at the university without proof of their ability might waste many resources. This is because, advanced-level education is expensive costing up to half a million Kenyan shilling in Kenya, for instance. If a student picks an area of study and fails to complete it because he/she finds it difficult, a lot of money that should have been used in other activities would have been wasted. For instance, a case study done in Kenyan colleges has shown that nearly 30% of students admitted to medical school do not complete their studies, others transfer to other courses midway through their studies due to a lack of aptitude to be a doctor. This resulted in a loss of resources and money
In conclusion, some people believe that everybody should be admitted into the university academic program irrespective of their past academic performance. This essay strongly disagrees with this notion and argues that it will lead to failure and waste of money