Rejection of the elite is destructive. Without the elite, we would have at best a 3rd-world situation. We need the elite.<p>There is no &quot;process by which we educate any arbitrary person&quot;. Some won&#x27;t succeed, no matter what portion of our resources we blow on them. The mere attempt causes our best teachers to leave the profession; few enjoy being powerless babysitters.<p>Your &quot;who deserves it&quot; terminology has a problem. It suggests that we are dishing out reward or punishment, but really could provide the best for everybody. We can&#x27;t actually provide the best for everybody. This is partly because resources (including non-clonable human teachers) are limited, and partly (mostly) because the less-capable students interfere with education for the more-capable students.