Celebrating Isabel Warusavitarne’s John Locke Essay Commendation

MLC School is delighted to celebrate Year 11 student Isabel Warusavitarne, who has received a Commendation in the 2026 John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize for her entry in the Science & Technology category.

The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize challenges young people from around the world to engage with complex questions extending well beyond the school curriculum. Students are encouraged to demonstrate independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive writing, with essays assessed by senior academics from universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

Isabel’s achievement is particularly impressive in the context of an exceptionally competitive international field. Earlier in the year, she learned that her essay had been shortlisted from 100,227 entries, with the shortlist representing just the top 17.5% of submissions.

Responding to the provocative question ‘Is science the enemy of free speech?’, Isabel developed a nuanced argument exploring the relationship between scientific authority, institutions and our freedom to challenge established ideas. Early in her essay, she writes:

‘Science is not just a method; it is also a set of institutions and a form of cultural authority. Free speech is not just a right; it is a social expectation and a political value. When these two areas overlap, they don’t always support each other.’

What is so impressive about Isabel’s work is her willingness to resist a simple answer. Instead, she distinguishes between science as a method, an institution and a source of cultural authority, while similarly considering the legal, social and intellectual dimensions of free speech. Her essay asks readers to consider not simply whether science and free speech are compatible, but what can happen when scientific authority becomes embedded within institutions and public policy.

We are immensely proud of Isabel. Her Commendation recognises not only an outstanding piece of writing, but the intellectual courage behind it: the curiosity to pursue a difficult question, the independence to develop a thoughtful position, and the discipline to communicate complex ideas with clarity.

Congratulations, Isabel, on a wonderful and richly deserved achievement.

You can read Isabel’s essay here

– Amy Murphy
Director of Professional Practice