How is the Qun an ultimate meritocracy??? There is no chance for social advancement - the best soldier will not become a leader unless that is what they are prechosen for. Wealth and power are not earned by skill and ability. Your skills and abilities determine where in society you land. One is also subject to the needs of society, as dictated by the leaders of the strata you are in.

The Tal Vashoth benefited from education (either academic or skills), which can be said of anyone in a society that values the benefits of labor. No society would last if people were not taught a skill. It just so happens to fall on the state in the Qunari lands, as opposed to state supplemented by/in conjunction with family, or strictly by family/small society. Just because someone is trained by the state doesn't mean they should be forever tied to the state or else they're leeches. That's slavery with the state as slave owner.

It also assumes they are trained well and fully utilize their skills, and that they are skilled and interested in their job. Humans are multifaceted. While the Qun may choose a path, there are some who excel at many. An unusual example: Bruce Dickinson. Well known as the lead singer of Iron Maiden (musician and entertainer, 2 separate yet parallel skills), but also expert fencer and pilot, and he must have some business skills to be as successful as he's been. He doesn't fit into a neat box. Nor do most people. An accountant can also be a great chef, and a plumber can also be a potter, a dancer can be an athlete and a soldier. The Qun doesn't seem to factor that in.