A meritocracy means a fair system where pupils will achieve success on the basis of their own efforts and ability. This view sees education as a system where the most talented and hard working will succeed. According to Item A, structural theorists have competing views as to whether education is meritocratic. The view held by Functionalists is that the education system performs an essential role in the selection process of people into appropriate roles in the economy. Parsons and Davis and Moore all saw education as meritocratic. They argue that individuals are not born intellectually equal. The role of the education system is to sift and sort people. This involves selecting the most able for the mot functionally important roles in society. Therefore, doctors and lawyers are naturally more intelligent than cleaners and porters so it is good for society they get these jobs. In Parson’s view a meritocratic education system was essential in modern society. He saw the education system as a bridge between home and work. In the family individuals are judged on ‘particularistic’ values and have ascribed statuses. However, the education system, like the world of work is based on ‘universalistic’ values and the status is achieved. However, not all Functionalists share this view. Tumin said that Davis and Moore’s work was too simplistic because there was no way of measuring the functional importance or particular jobs. Other structural theorists like Marxists see education as ‘reproducing social inequality’ (Item A) and reject the view that education is a meritocracy. They see that education really functions in the interest of the ruling class, Althusser saw education as an Ideological State Apparatus, which legitimates class inequality in society. Bowels and Gintis showed that there was a correspondence between the education system and the economy. The economy