On Friday 1 May, Year 11 students Mali Yao, Aurelia Cabrera, Aran Nota, Avleen Chaggar and Ahan Sarkar represented The Knox School in the annual Victorian Ethics Olympiad. The Ethics Olympiad is both a competitive and collaborative event in which school teams analyse and discuss complex, real-world ethical issues. Unlike traditional debating, the focus is not on “winning” an argument, but on engaging in respectful, thoughtful, and well-reasoned dialogue. Teams are assessed on their ability to explore multiple perspectives and justify a moral position, rather than argue for a preassigned side.
Year 11 students Avleen Chaggar and Aran Nota reflected on their experience, sharing the following thoughts:
“In the weeks leading up to the competition, our team prepared by studying a range of ethical cases provided by the organisers. Some cases were tackled individually, while others were discussed as a group during meetings we organised ourselves. Through these sessions, we challenged one another’s viewpoints, refined our arguments, and explored different ethical frameworks and philosophies. This preparation helped us build both confidence in our ideas and the communication skills needed to present them effectively.
On the day of the Olympiad, we joined schools from across Australia, as well as internationally from the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and India, through a series of online discussion rounds. Although the experience initially felt nerve-wracking, especially as it was the first time any of us had participated in the competition, the atmosphere quickly became engaging and enjoyable as the rounds progressed.
Throughout the day, we discussed a wide range of thought-provoking ethical dilemmas, including gene editing, the morality of conceiving a child to act as a donor for another, the ethics of true crime media and victim dignity, and whether wealthy students should be eligible for scholarships. Presenting our ideas and listening to the perspectives of other schools provided valuable insights and encouraged us to think more deeply and critically about each issue.
By the end of the competition, our team achieved an honourable mention from the judges and placed sixth in Victoria, an achievement we are incredibly proud of, particularly as first-time participants.
The Ethics Olympiad was a highly rewarding experience that strengthened our critical thinking, communication, and collaborative skills, and it is an opportunity we would highly recommend to future students interested in exploring challenging and meaningful ethical issues.”
Congratulations to our Year 11 Ethics Olympiad team on their outstanding effort and thoughtful participation. Your ability to engage respectfully with complex ethical issues, listen carefully to differing perspectives, and communicate your ideas with clarity and insight is a credit to both yourselves and our school community. We are incredibly proud of the maturity, teamwork, and intellectual curiosity you demonstrated throughout the competition. Well done on representing the TKS with such integrity and excellence.
