Earlier in the term a handful of students in Year 10 participated in the Senior Ethics Olympiad, a competitive extracurricular activity centred around discussing ethical issues. The event brings together schools from across Australia, with students in Years 10-12, engaging in discussions judged by professional philosophers and ethics scholars. 

Over the course of Term 1, the team worked diligently to prepare for the event, studying eight current and sometimes controversial ethical cases. The team spent breaktimes preparing for this competition, familiarising themselves with the cases, solidifying a stance even before the competition began. Their preparation involved using ethical frameworks to analyse real world dilemmas, considering not just their own perspective, but also the points of view of others. 

Unlike a traditional debate, the Ethics Olympiad emphasises moral reasoning, critical thinking, and the respectful exchange of arguments. It involved polite, reflective discussion on various cases and how they may be viewed by different ethical theories. Ethical theories are the frameworks behind the choice of deciding what is considered ethical. For example, utilitarianism is the ethical theory that holds an action to be right if it benefits the majority. The competition differs from a debate in that it focuses on carefully considering ethical stances on real world issues through thoughtful reasoning, rather than having teams argue against a position regardless of their personal beliefs.

This competition has helped students develop critical thinking, collaboration, teamwork, and communication skills, as well as the ability to analyse complex dilemmas and articulate well reasoned arguments. These skills enabled the team to engage in meaningful ethical discussions with other schools, ultimately earning commendations for their effort and dedication.

Although the team did not place in the top three, they received a special commendation from the judging panel, a remarkable achievement given that only 8 out of 23 competing schools were recognised in this way. The SFCC team was also congratulated for being the most improved team throughout the competition.

We congratulate them on their efforts and look forward to next year’s competition.

Year 10 Team: Spoorthi R., Xanthe T., Eva-Rose H., Angela G. and Sibella R.

Coach: Ms Maria Ramos