Supererogation and other ethical dilemmas

On 19 February, the 2024 Middle School Ethics Olympiad final took place. Our Santa Sabina ‘maroon’ team proudly progressed to this stage after securing a Silver Medal in one of the NSW divisions last year.

This experience allowed students to challenge themselves with thought provoking ethical dilemmas and a slew of new and challenging discussion points. Students interacted with peers from across Australia and the world, including teams from Hong Kong and New Zealand. Our team of five students worked hard, doing their best, and placed in the top 20 teams, gaining new knowledge and a sense of accomplishment.

‘A memorable moment was during the feedback session in the second round, which veered off track and led to a discussion on supererogation – a thought-provoking concept that was new to us.‘
Tanvi Chava

It is this chance for students to be challenged and to receive authentic feedback from university philosophers and ethicists that leads to real growth in our students. Every competition that they enter gives them a little bit more perspective. 

If you’d like to get involved in the Middle School Ethics Olympiad, the 2025 rounds will be held in November, with sign-ups starting at the beginning of Term 3. If the prospect of competing against others, learning their ideas and views, and working as a group is appealing to you, consider joining.

Matthew Mountford
Dean of Gifted Education