Year 10 STRIVE Students Tackle Global Ethics Challenge
This term in Year 10 STRIVE, students have been deep in discussion for weeks, tackling some of the world’s most complex moral questions working towards the Ethics Olympiad competition. The Ethics Olympiad has offered a powerful opportunity for STRIVE students to extend their thinking beyond the classroom. By engaging with ethical dilemmas that don’t have simple right or wrong answers, students are challenged to explore multiple perspectives, build persuasive arguments, and develop the kind of respectful, reasoned dialogue that is essential for leadership and citizenship in a global society. It’s a program that sharpens communication skills, grows confidence, and nurtures curiosity — all while connecting students to a broader academic community of thinkers across Australia and the world.
St Mary’s College proudly entered two teams in this year’s International Ethics Olympiad, with students from Year 10, Year 11, and Year 12 taking part. Each team included a mix of Year 10 STRIVE students, along with two Year 12s and one Year 11 student, who brought valuable perspective and leadership to the group.
The event brought together schools from across Australia and around the world — including participants from China, Iran, and India — for a six-hour challenge in ethical thinking and respectful discussion.
Across four demanding heats, teams explored real-world ethical dilemmas on topics such as animal ethics, artificial intelligence, cancel culture, and climate responsibility. Students were tasked with explaining their positions clearly, responding thoughtfully to other viewpoints, and applying ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, all while staying calm and collaborative in a fast-paced online format.
“It wasn’t about winning an argument,” said one STRIVE student. “It was about listening, thinking deeply, and learning to see things from different perspectives.”
The competition was a unique experience for students to build confidence, teamwork, and public speaking skills — and to realise that their voices matter in big global conversations.
The STRIVE program continues to give students opportunities to go beyond the classroom, think critically, and step up as young leaders. Congratulations to the team for representing the school with integrity, courage, and curiosity. Results to be posted soon…..
