> Devil's advocate: do you think children who lack families that provide such advantages must necessarily "suffer" as a consequence of that lack?

As for me, of course not. I don't want other kids to suffer. And I'm sure it's the same for everyone else.

But why should I or my children who did the right things (study, sacrifice, etc) suffer because some faceless bureaucrats gets to decide who get an advantage via a 'secret' score?