I've been following the debate about meritocracy in our education system with interest, and concur wholeheartedly with the assertion (made mostly by my fellow non-Malay Malaysians) that our present system is unfair and biased.

I am not interested in debating why our present system is such - we can argue non-stop about whether the NEP is good or not - but would like to present an alternative to our present system.

There has been talk of perpetuating the NEP by giving bumiputeras bonus points because 'non-bumi students are more inclined to excel in examinations' and therefore take up more seats in choice disciplines at university.

Some have also suggested that a candidate's background - whether he/she come from a wealthy enough background to afford extra tuition and so on - be taken into consideration when granting places at university.

My alternatives are simpler:

a) All schoolchildren should take a national test at the end of their primary years. This should not be a curriculum-based test (which anyone can study for), but instead an aptitude test to sort the intelligent (regardless of background) from the less intelligent.

b) Send the brighter children to a school of excellence but only if their parents qualify. Meaning only the children who are lesser off and who have done well in the test are automatically given a place at a such a school. Other children may be given places only if there are any left.

Alternatively, if this is too expensive, offer a set number of scholarships each year to children who come from the lower-income bracket.

c) Maintain the SPM and STPM, but use only the STPM as a way to determine university entry.

Not everyone will benefit from a university education, so use the SPM to separate those who may benefit from a more vocational education.

The matriculation course should be abolished in its entirety.

These, however, are not the only steps that need to be taken.

The government should also get rid of the NEP with regards to education, or at least, modify it, so that bumis and non-bumis alike can benefit. The sole criteria for access to university should be income, not race, so that all the alternatives that I propose above can be thrown open to everyone, regardless of race.

Next, what do I mean by schools of excellence? These to a certain extent, already exist. Think of the former missionary schools and boarding schools that have traditionally done well in national examinations.

These schools should be allowed to choose their own students based purely on national examination results. Such schools will thus cater to children from all the races - unlike the case now where top schools tend to take in bumi students children with a few token non-bumis.

A mixed student population from a younger age also bodes well for national unity instead of the forced communal mixing a la the National Service programme at 18 years of age when many young adults have already formed their own prejudices about life and the world.

Finally, and perhaps the most important step of all, is that we need a change in our mind-set. All the steps outlined above would be worthless if people are allowed to pull strings in order to put their child ahead.

This is why all decisions must be made in as transparent a way as possible. This can be achieved in any number of ways for example by publishing the names and results of all students successfully placed in varsities each year.

Are my alternatives too easy or too difficult? I don't know. Perhaps my ideas are too na V ve to be implemented. A professional in the education sector may be able to offer up more workable ideas.

In any case, I offer them up because unless our educational system changes, we will be left with second-rate university graduates simply because we were not honest enough to be able to deal with the problem.

And we will get nowhere by simply stating that we have an unfair system and that non-bumis have been discriminated against since the 70s. After all, we know what the problem is, and we should set our sights on fixing it.

Furthermore, before anyone accuses me of being a kacang yang sudah melupakan kulitnya , let me just say this: the NEP, as far as I'm concerned, was something that our country needed.

However, it's been more than 30 years since its inception, and if we Malays still need help in pulling ourselves up, then there is something very wrong with ourselves. Which I don't think is the case.

So it's time for us to put our money where our mouth is and allow everyone, regardless of race, the same opportunities. Particularly when it comes to education because our Bangsa Malaysia building exercise will get nowhere if our children suddenly discover, at age 18, that some of their peers are more equal than others.