Sydney Philosothon 2026

History

The Sydney Philosothon is an annual inter-school event running since 2009. We wish to acknowledge and thank the previous schools who have hosted this event: Ascham, Cranbrook, St Andrew’s Cathedral School and North Sydney Girls High School and also thank the Philosophy in Schools Association of NSW who contributed to this event for many years. This event grows each year, as does the number of trained teachers to support philosophical inquiry in NSW classrooms. 

The event

Students prepare to engage in three collaborative philosophical discussions known as Communities of Inquiry (COI). By engaging in philosophical inquiry with peers, students enhance their critical thinking skills, employ their capacity for reasoned argumentation, and broaden their understanding of diverse perspectives. Each COI will be facilitated by attending teachers and assessed by teachers and philosophers. Prizes (generously donated by NewPhilosopher) will be offered to the top three scoring teams and the top individuals overall. Stimulus material will be sent to those who register.

The event is open to all who qualify. In 2026, schools may enter one or two teams of four students each, ranging from Years 8-10. In order to provide a robust judging panel (to ensure a successful and fulfilling experience for all students), each participating school must be accompanied by a teacher who has been through the two-day Introduction to Philosophical Community of Inquiry training, which is required in order to facilitate/assess COIs:  https://events.humanitix.com/introduction-to-philosophical-community-of-inquiry-workshop 

• Teams must be registered by latest 30 June 2026. 

Topics for discussion

The topics for this year will be...

1. Happiness is not the most important thing. Or is it?

2. What does it mean for a society to progress?

3. Is our relationship with nature too transactional?

Here is a link to readings and links: 2026-Philosothon-Stimuli.pdf

Many thanks to our colleagues at University of Queensland for sharing these topics & resources with us for use this year.

Special considerations

Some bursaries are available to enable students from all backgrounds to be able to participate. To inquire, please email bjensen@newington.nsw.edu.au 

If your school is interested to participate but don't meet the above criteria, or if you have any other questions relating to the event, please email Dr Britta Jensen on the email above.