The notion of “equality” constitutes a central plank of all versions of the liberal script (albeit in different forms and interpretations). Therefore, the existence and reproduction of social inequality in liberal societies needs to be legitimated. The liberal script contains clear instructions for how this should be achieved, centring on the idea of allocating life chances on the basis of individual “merit” under the conditions of “equality of opportunity”. Education plays a crucial role here, since merit is often socially operationalised as the successful acquisition of educational certificates.

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