Originally Posted by Bostonian
Since high school achievement is correlated with IQ, and since
high-IQ children come from more affluent and educated families on average, it could be asked why those who have won the genetic lottery should be further favored by free high education.

Bostonian, your words here sparked something inside for me. I don't believe that nature favors the affluent when bestowing IQ skills. So it must be that the affluent just happen to have a better chance to take advantage of their IQ in this country. Back home, public schools are not funded by property taxes but come from the State or Central Govt's general funds. So, you don't have to be rich to attend a good school district. The public schools I attended were truly mixed SES. So, a high IQ child from a economically disadvantaged family had the same advantages as one from an affluent family. Of course, the affluent sent (and still send) their kids to fancy private schools but still. Same is true for the public undergrad university I attended in my home country. Truly mixed SES with the only common trait among us being higher than average IQ with the dedication to succeed in a very rigorous academic environment. Many of those rich kids with average IQ that paid top $$ to attend the private schools ended up in private colleges and not the prestigious public ones.