It is too optimistic to say that ending the graduate/non-graduate grouping will have a significant outcome ("End of grad, non-grad grouping has far-reaching impact" by Mr Roy Goh Hin Soon; Jan 8).

Despite all the policies and campaigns calling for gender equality, the notion that females should be subordinate to males is still a deep-seated one.

My concern is that we will see something similar happen in the call for equal treatment for the different education levels.

Then, there is the cause for the discrimination of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education graduates to deal with.

Children in Singapore have it drummed into their heads that exam scores indicate one's intelligence level.

Compared to entry qualifications to universities, the academic entry requirements of polytechnic and ITE are generally lower.

This inevitably leads to the view that students who do not go to college are lacking in certain aspects.

The first step we might have to take is to promote the notion that exam scores do not necessarily correlate with intelligence, and scores cannot define a person.

We could also take some pointers from China.

Vocational schools there also have lower entry requirements than universities. However, vocational school graduates are not usually viewed as inferior to university graduates, as those with applicable skills are highly sought after by employers. They are also likely to earn higher wages than entry-level and intermediate-level university graduates.

Essentially, the popularity of a certain type of school depends on the prospects for its students.

Employers should take the initiative to recognise that contribution matters more than qualification.

Qu Aohan (Ms)