Georgiana Molloy Anglican School

GEORGIANA MOLLOY ANGLICAN SCHOOL

PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING A WINNER

Students from Georgiana Molloy Anglican School (GMAS) are tackling the hard questions as they take part in the annual South West Philosothon. Hosted at GMAS, the Philosothon is a competition where students from Years 7 to 11 investigate ethical, moral and philosophical questions using the framework of the ‘communities of inquiry’. The event helps students develop higher order thinking and communication skills through a series of insightful and inclusive discussions with students from other schools.

Senior School Gifted and Talented Coordinator Brad Taylor said the event promoted inclusiveness by encouraging students from different schools, both public and private, to engage in respectful and wideranging conversations. He said students competed in mixed age groups, allowing them to access a diverse range of views. “The South West Philosothon provides students who are strong critical thinkers and enjoy in-depth discussions, with an outlet to spend time with students of a like mind and attitude. This is important for the students as it is a wonderful opportunity to engage in types of conversations that makes them feel included and heard,” Mr Taylor said. An example of questions that were discussed at this year’s event included ‘Are artistic forgeries valuable?’ and ‘Should we welcome our cyborg future?’. “Although the South West Philosothon is a competition, it is really about using the spirit of cooperation to develop a shared understanding on important topics by fostering a sense of community,” Mr Taylor said. “It also develops each student’s critical, creative and cooperative thinking skills, which will be vital for the jobs of the future and to address the major issues that face all communities such as climate change.” The event also includes members of the community, with judges and facilitators drawn from academia, business, education and past and present students.

“The South West Philosothon was an amazing event, and I loved the fact that everyone was able to share their view point, instead of one person having full control over the conversation.”

Ewan Davies, Year 7

“I really enjoyed communicating with students of all ages and backgrounds throughout the community of inquiries. It was a really rewarding experience, opening my mind to concepts I had not previously considered.” Abbey Lloyd, Year 11