It seems that the underlying thinking in this race-based admissions practice is a matter of trying to even out access to postsecondary (and above) education. The shortcomings are obvious. The only reasonable, realistic solution to the diversity in education situation is to go to the elementary level and try to give more disadvantaged students the scholastic tools that they will need to succeed at the university level -- if, indeed that is what they choose to do. A further complication may be that some children may come from families that do not value education, or aren't equipped to help their children succeed in school. Social promotion has to end. For all groups. Warehousing -- mainstreaminging developmentally disabled kids in traditional classrooms -- must end. Standards have to be set, teachers qualified to help students meet those standards, and no "gimmees". If the elementary school system is as flawed as many of us believe it to be, then let someone(s) with no personal ties go in, evaluate it, and recommend reasonable ways to correct it. This should end up costing millions less than the current practice of just throwing more money at the system.
We're seeing the consequences of the "get out of jail free" approach to education now at the graduate and post-graduate levels. Students at the college level can't put two words together intelligently, they have no logic or critical thinking skills, and we're supposed to babysit them rather than require them to pass the standards they should meet, because the school is afraid of being sued if we turf them out.
The bottom line is that race or ethnicity should not be a factor in university admissions. If there's unequal access because students from some groups are ill-prepared for university work, then instead of relaxing those standards let's find a way help them meet the standard they'll need to meet in order to pass on their own merits. That way everybody wins.
