Academy Ethics Olympiad Team takes the Gold Medal
The Central West Leadership Academy Ethics Olympiad Team has won 1st place in this year’s state championship on Tuesday November 24 and have qualified for the Nationals competition. With over 150 teams in their age bracket, the Academy’s Stage 4 team has taken first place in NSW and will represent NSW at the National Competition in February of 2021. This is the first time a team from the Central West has made it to the Nationals level in this highly revered international competition.
Results for the 2020 Middle School Ethics Olympiad (years 7-9)
1st Place Central West Leadership Academy
2nd Place Ravenswood
3rd Place Meriden
This is the first year an Academy team, consisting of Poppy Caldin, Sovanah Doherty, Finn Randell, Noah Randell and Jia-Rong Tan, have competed in this event. Coached by Academy HSIE teacher Christian Dayment, the team practiced after school, weekly for 10 weeks to explore all 8 ethical cases and prepare for the state finals. Examples of the ethical cases include:
Case 1 – Extra! Extra! Don’t Read About It!
Case 2 “There Must Be No Deserters” COVID-19 and the Ethics of Mass Quarantine.
Case 3 - Companionship or Commodification?
Case 4 – Belief vs. Action
Case 5 – Flying High
Case 6 – Democracy by Lot
Case 7 – Repatriation of Foreign Fighters/Participants (FFPs)
Case 8 – Campus No-Platforming
Principal Mandi Randell stated, “At the Academy, we have a great emphasis on critical and ethical thinking. I am so proud of the hard work these students have put in to earn them the distinction of being deemed the best ethical philosophers in NSW. What a great result for our region and we look forward to going up against the best in the country at the National Finals.”
In an Ethics Olympiad, teams represent their school as they argue constructively about contemporary and relevant ethical issues. Unlike a debate where one team tries to poke holes in another’s argument, the Ethics Olympiad team ‘wins’ by showing a broad depth of knowledge and perspectives that furthers constructive, collective thinking. Usually this event has been run in face to face meetings in capital cities throughout Australasia. The event was held remotely this year due to COVID. The National Finals will also be held remotely.
Other schools participating in this year’s Middle School Ethics Olympiad include Danebank College, James Ruse Agricultural High School, Kings School, Kinross Wolaroi, Loretto Kirribilli, Meriden, Newington College, Queenwood, Ravenswood, Rosebank, Santa Sabina, SCEGGS, Sydney Boys, and Waverly among others.