Year 6 Wins Gold at Ethics Olympiad

By Mr Nick Martin, Assistant Head of Junior School Learning and Teaching

We are pleased to share some exciting news about the outstanding performance of our Year 6 students in the recent Ethics Olympiad. This prestigious competition challenges young minds to grapple with complex ethical dilemmas, and we couldn't be prouder of our participants.

For those who may not be familiar, the Ethics Olympiad is an international competition designed to encourage critical thinking and ethical reasoning among students. Participants are presented with a series of thought-provoking ethical case studies and are required to discuss and analyse them in a respectful and constructive manner. The competition emphasises not only students' ability to identify ethical issues but also to communicate their thoughts effectively, considering various perspectives.

In a field of 26 schools, one of our teams finished first, winning the gold medal, while the other team finished fifth, receiving an honourable mention from the judges. This is an outstanding achievement considering this was the first time the Junior School participated. Congratulations to the following Year 6 students: Sophie L, Justin, Hannah, Dinugi, Maddie, Sophie S, Amber, Sanvi and Ashley.

Here are some reflections from the students:

"The Ethics Olympiad was an enjoyable challenge that pushed us to our limits. Both Radford teams required the use of communication skills to convey their ideas and work effectively with our group. A special shout out to Mr Martin, Mrs Crane and Mrs O’Brien for helping us throughout the preparation for this day" – Amber.

"This was the first time Radford Junior School had participated in the Ethics Olympiad, and to say we were all extremely excited and a little nervous was an understatement. Throughout the Olympiad, my team learnt how to communicate with each other in an exceedingly short timeline. We also learnt how to think on our feet and remember to use our ethical theories to support our opinions. We challenged teams from all over Australia, New Zealand and even Hong Kong. This event was so much fun because it taught me all about ethics and how I can use it in my everyday life! I liked how kind the judges were and the valuable feedback they gave. I also loved seeing lots of different teams from all over Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong! I wish I could do it all over again!" – Sophie L.

"The Year 6 students that participated all had a wonderful time improving their communication skills whilst coming up with responses to the other teams’ commentary. We competed against schools from all around Australia and even a school in Hong Kong. Overall, we all had an enjoyable day, and Mr Martin, Mrs O’Brien and Mrs Crane provided a huge help with preparing us and helping us sort technical difficulties throughout the day" – Dinugi.

"Participating in this event has been an enriching experience for not only myself but also many other individuals. During the competition, teams consisting of either five or four members engaged in profound conversations around thought-provoking ethical questions. The overall atmosphere was enjoyable, fostering intellectual growth for all participants. I genuinely treasure this experience and feel privileged to have been selected to participate in such an amazing event" – Hannah.

"Students had to train hard beforehand to learn the structure, ethical theories and cases that would be necessary for the competition. During the competition, both teams had to verse other schools and answer questions that required them to reach into the deepest depths of their knowledge. Some questions included, “How do you balance old promises with new opportunities?” or “What are some ways Photoshop can be used?” and even really simple ones like, “What is a weed? Do we call something a weed due to its growth patterns, or are there other factors?" Nonetheless, both teams were extremely proud of their efforts at the end of the day and were astonished with the ranking - one team coming first and the other fifth. Hopefully, the Ethics Olympiad will become an annual event for students at Radford!" - Maddie.