International Middle School Ethics Olympiad 2025

We are proud to share that our team of five students were awarded the Silver Medal at the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad Finals 2025.

The Olympiad brings together students from around the world to explore complex real world dilemmas through dialogue rather than debate. Across four heats, teams are assessed on their ethical awareness, reasoning, and ability to engage thoughtfully with diverse perspectives.

Our students demonstrated insight and maturity as they examined timely issues such as the use of artificial intelligence, engaging with both empathy and rigour.

Reflecting on the experience, team member Theresa Alphonse Kuzhimattathil (301) shared:

“When we were first told that we would be participating in the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad, we wondered how anyone could possibly ‘compete’ in ethics. After all, there’s no calculator that can tabulate whether Immanuel Kant would approve of your decision or whether John Stuart Mill thinks it maximises happiness. Nonetheless, through experience, we realised that ethics is not about choosing the perfect answer, but about developing an inclination to think carefully, listen deeply and cultivate the kind of character even Aristotle would feel is virtuous.

Preparing for the Ethics Olympiad pushed us to think more deeply than we had ever before. We learnt how to think on our feet, nurturing our confidence in impromptu speaking and critical thinking. Most importantly, we learned that although ethical questions have numerous plausible answers, crafting every answer requires humility, curiosity and the courage to listen to perspectives that are vastly different from our own. 

Placing second internationally was an incredible honour. Above all, it has taught us that in a world that is becoming increasingly unpredictable, we must appreciate the opportunities we receive to question current beliefs and recognise that our goal in life is not to ‘find the correct answer’ but to become an individual who is thoughtful enough to ask the right questions, both individually and as a group or a community."