Junior School Ethics Olympiad
Gold, silver and bronze medals
An online team event where students reason through real ethical cases with other schools and are scored on clear, respectful thinking rather than on winning an argument.
Mode
Online
Fee
A$270
Participation format
Team
Teams of 4 to 5
Duration
One online day of about four and a half hours, covering all six cases
Time needed
One day of 4.5 hours, plus preparation sessions
Eligibility
Open to school students aged 9 to 12, in grade 5 and 6, entering as a team of 4 to 5 students through their school. A teacher registers the team and coaches it, and every member of a team must come from the same school. A school may enter up to two teams.
- Grade level
- Grade 5 to 6
- Age range
- 9 to 12 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Prerequisites
- A teacher who registers the team and acts as its coach
- All team members drawn from the same school
- Willingness to read and discuss the six released cases before the day
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Prizes
Gold, silver and bronze medals
Medals go to the top three teams and results are announced within 24 hours of the event.
Certificate
Certificate for every participant
A certificate is issued for every participating student, not only for medal winners, and is sent to the school to present at assembly.
Recognition
Judged by academic philosophers
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Registration opened
- 1 Sept 2026
- Registration closes
- 7 Jun 2027
- Competition
- 8 Jun 2027 to 15 Sept 2027
Tuesday 8 June 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Thursday 10 June 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Friday 11 June 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Wednesday 16 June 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Friday 18 June 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Tuesday 7 September 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Wednesday 8 September 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Friday 10 September 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Wednesday 15 September 2027
One of the nine online dates a school can choose from.
Online · Zoom
How to apply
- 1A teacher at the school completes the online registration form as the team coach
- 2Choose the event date that suits the school calendar and the number of teams
- 3Pay the invoiced team fee to confirm the place
- 4Receive the coaches kit, the students kit and the six cases, and prepare the team
- 5Join the Zoom rooms on the day with a device that has a camera and a good microphone
Rules and guidelines
- No notes or pre-prepared materials may be used at any point on the day
- All team members must come from the same school, and a school may enter at most two teams
- Coaches may not speak to students during a heat, and supervise from a separate device
- Teams are not assigned a side and two teams may end up agreeing with each other
Technology requirements
- A device with a working camera and a good microphone
- A reliable internet connection for Zoom
- A separate device for the coach to supervise from
- A quiet room at school where the team can be heard clearly
Fees and financial support
Fee details
Charged per team rather than per student, so a team of 5 costs the same as a team of 4. Member schools pay A$260 and non-member schools A$270 at the early bird rate; a school entering two teams pays twice. Schools are invoiced after registering, and a credit card option is offered so schools outside Australia avoid international transfer fees. A date closes once it fills, so the place is secured by registering rather than by the fee deadline.
About this opportunity
The Junior School Ethics Olympiad is an online team event in which students discuss real ethical cases with teams from other schools. It follows the United States Ethics Bowl format and it is deliberately not a debate: no team is assigned a side. A team takes the position it thinks is most defensible and explains its reasoning, the other team comments on that reasoning, the first team replies, and a judge then questions it.
Teams are 4 to 5 students from grade 5 and 6, and a school may enter up to two teams. The full set of six cases is released well before the day, so students read them, argue them out and settle their own positions in advance. On the day the moderator says which case and which question a heat will use, so a team has to be ready across the whole set rather than rehearsing one answer. No notes are allowed at any point.
The day runs in Zoom breakout rooms, each holding two teams and a judge who moderates and scores, and it lasts about four and a half hours. Each heat is marked out of 60: up to 15 points for the opening presentation, 10 for the other team's commentary, 15 for the reply to that commentary, 15 for answers to the judge's questions, and 5 for engaging the other team respectfully rather than combatively.
The organiser runs the junior olympiad on set online dates in June and September, and a school picks the one that suits its calendar. Every region starts at the same moment, so in India the day runs from about 5:30 to 10:00 in the morning, which is worth knowing before entering a team of nine to twelve year olds. A date closes once it fills. Every participating student receives a certificate, and the top three teams take gold, silver and bronze medals. Results are announced within 24 hours.
Exam format
- Total marks
- 60
- Duration
- 44 minutes
- Format
- A team presentation on a case question, commentary from the other team, a reply, and a judge question and answer period
- Language
- English
Rounds and format
Heats run in Zoom breakout rooms, each with two teams and a judge who moderates and scores. A coin toss sets which team presents first. Both teams get 2 minutes to plan, the presenting team gets 5 minutes to present with one speaker at a time, the other team takes 1 minute to confer and 3 minutes to give commentary, the presenting team takes 1 minute and 3 minutes to reply, and the judge then questions the presenting team for 7 minutes, during which the team may take a 30 second private conference. The roles then swap for the next case. All six cases are covered across the heats of the day, which runs about four and a half hours.
How entries are judged
Each heat is marked out of 60. The presenting team earns up to 15 points for the opening presentation, scored 1 to 5 on three questions: whether it was clear and systematic, whether it identified and thoroughly discussed the central moral dimensions of the case, and whether it showed awareness and thoughtful consideration of viewpoints that would matter to people who disagree. The commenting team earns up to 10 points for its commentary, the presenting team earns 15 more for its reply and 15 for its answers to the judge's questions, and each team earns up to 5 points for respectful, collaborative discussion, where the top band is reserved for a team that engaged all parties productively.
Selection process
Heat scores are added to rank the teams, and gold, silver and bronze go to the top three. Results are announced within 24 hours. Judging decisions are final.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a debate?
No. Teams are not assigned a side. A team takes the position it finds most defensible and explains its reasoning, and points are awarded for engaging the other team respectfully. Two teams may agree with each other and both score well.
Who can enter a team?
A teacher enters the team and acts as its coach. Teams are 4 to 5 students from Years 5 and 6, all from the same school, and a school may enter up to two teams.
Can students bring notes?
No. Notes and pre-prepared materials are not permitted at any time. Students work from scrap paper and what they have thought through in preparation.
How is a heat scored?
Out of 60. Up to 15 points for the opening presentation, 10 for the other team's commentary, 15 for the reply to it, 15 for answers to the judge's questions, and 5 for respectful, collaborative discussion.
Which date do Indian schools take?
The junior olympiad runs on nine online dates in June and September 2027 and a school picks any one of them. This division has no India date of its own, unlike the middle school and senior school olympiads. Every region plays at the same moment, so in India the day runs from about 5:30 to 10:00 in the morning.
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