Recently, we had two teams of Year 9 and 10s competing against other South Island schools in the Middle School Ethics Olympiad.  This collaborative event requires students to analyse and discuss real-life, timely global ethical issues that promote critical thinking, civil discourse and an appreciation for diverse points of view.  Unlike debating, teams can choose to add to their opposing team's arguments or deconstruct them.  This year's topics ranged from Bullfighting and the use of AI in the classroom to the morality around naming children and relying on civilian intelligence in times of war.

To prepare for this event, we spent a day at St Bede's College sharing ideas and learning about ethical principles with their two teams under the guidance of Mr Aaron Poulter, and had some trial discussions with them last week too. 

The event was held on Zoom and involved 19 teams from 13 schools across the South Island.  One team made up of Niamh Savage, Aria Bishop, Amelie Hignett and Elle Read came 10th, and our other team, which included Emily Price, Sophie Bishop, Sofia Tuboltsev, and Regina Flores Cruz, received an Honourable Mention. 

Overall, it was a great experience, and the students learned a great deal and enjoyed interesting discussions throughout the day.

Article added: Friday 28 November 2025