For the first time, students from The Knox School proudly participated in the Senior School Ethics Olympiad, joining over 360 schools in this highly competitive and thought-provoking event held in May 2025.
The Ethics Olympiad is a unique and prestigious competition that challenges students across schools and universities to think critically, communicate effectively and collaborate meaningfully on some of today’s most complex ethical issues. More than just an academic event, the Olympiad offers students a constructive and inclusive environment to explore moral questions as active members of a broader community.
Unlike traditional debates, the Ethics Olympiad emphasises respectful dialogue and critical thinking over opposition and rebuttal. Teams of students – affectionately known as Eth-letes – work together to analyse and respond to ethical dilemmas, building arguments and evaluating perspectives through open-minded discussion rather than confrontation.
Prior to the event, participating students train under the guidance of a coach—usually a teacher – as they prepare responses to a series of age-appropriate, real-world ethical case studies. In 2025, our students tackled eight challenging scenarios, dedicating time during Term 2 to develop well-reasoned positions and practice thoughtful discourse.
Held online via Zoom, the Olympiad brings together teams from various regions, ensuring accessibility while maintaining a high standard of engagement. On competition day, teams compete in three to four heats, evaluated by tertiary-trained judges who score performances based on clarity, critical thinking, respect and collaboration.
Despite being our debut entry into the Ethics Olympiad, The Knox School team performed admirably. Our students impressed judges and peers alike with their articulate reasoning, respectful engagement and collaborative approach. Their hard work and dedication were recognised with an Honourable Mention – a significant achievement in such a competitive field. Representing The Knox School were Year 12 students Nicolas Vitanopolous and Amelia Roodt and Year 11 students Yianni Adraktas, Emma Lele and Ryder Gaunt.
The team explored a wide range of complex and contemporary ethical issues, including the morality of tobacco bans, the censorship of fiction by deceased authors, juvenile curfews, the cultural ethics of consuming dog meat, data collection practices by platforms like Spotify, prenatal screening, relationships with AI chatbots and the ethical considerations surrounding assisted dying.
Alison Crawford, our Head of Academics (Acting) Years 7-10 and Enrichment Learning Design Leader (P-12), shared her reflections:
I loved watching the way the students prepared for the Olympiad – the effort they poured into unpacking the case studies and the sometimes fierce but always thoughtful debates in the lead-up showed real intellectual commitment. On the day, it’s intense and demanding, but also deeply rewarding. It builds not just critical thinking, but genuine collaboration and respectful engagement with others’ ideas—skills that matter far beyond the competition itself.
Emma from Year 11 also reflected on the experience:
I enjoyed participating in the Senior School Ethics Olympiad, it was a thought provoking and intriguing event to have participated in. With some tricky ethical debates it was an unforgettable day and I am excited to participate in the event next year.
Congratulations to our Senior School Ethics Olympiad team on this well-deserved recognition. We look forward to building on this success in future competitions!
