Reflections on Youth, Ethics, and the Right to Dissent
A reflection on how ethical inquiry, critical thinking, and the freedom to question help young people become thoughtful, engaged, and responsible citizens.
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Recently, when my MYP 5 class unpacked Linda Pastan’s poem Ethics, we were confronted by its core dilemma - choosing between an irreplaceable Rembrandt painting or an elderly woman’s life. The poem ultimately arrives at a cynical conclusion: that true ethical understanding is reserved for the mature, entirely beyond the reach of children. Yet, standing in a room of fifteen-year-olds, I found myself challenging that very narrative.
The sentiment that is often reflected in mainstream media and popular culture portrays young people, particularly teenagers, as self-absorbed, devoid of the motivation to engage deeply with complex societal issues. However, in my class, most students did not dodge responsibility or offer easy, surface-level answers. They considered multiple perspectives and dissected the subtle ethical dilemmas embedded in our daily lives. Yes, life experience undeniably enriches rational thought, but they also showed me that young people do not need to wait decades to possess moral clarity. When provided with a safe environment and the space to engage in open dialogue, these students demonstrated a capacity for critical thinking and respectful debate, elevating the quality of discourse.
This classroom experience finds a striking parallel in the world around us. Outside our school walls, we have recently seen Gen Z leaders taking to public spaces, making their voices heard in demonstrations against ineffective policies and governance in higher education. Facing resistance and significant hardship, these young citizens have organized, dissented and in due time, achieved meaningful success in demanding systemic accountability.
While prevailing narratives often label youth activism as reckless or idealistic, these demonstrations tell a different story. They reveal a generation deeply invested in ethics and public welfare. They are not indifferent, they are stepping up to shoulder moral responsibilities.
Safeguarding the Space to Question
This dynamic invites us as educators and community members to reflect on the foundational pillars of a democratic society. Documented frameworks, such as the Preamble to our Constitution and the fundamental rights enshrined in its Articles, guarantee freedom of thought, expression and peaceful assembly to all citizens. These rights exist precisely to protect the right to question and to disagree respectfully.
Yet, we must ask ourselves: Do our formal and societal structures inadvertently strip these rights away from young people the moment they enter schools and public institutions?
If we strip away their right to dissent, we deny them the opportunity to grow into conscientious citizens. When we trust young people with safe spaces to challenge the status quo, they show us that dissent is an act of care for the future.
As educators, our role is not to hand them pre-packaged answers, but to sit alongside them in the discomfort of big questions. I think back to that classroom with fifteen-year-olds leaning into a debate with no right answer, unwilling to let each other off easy. Pastan’s poem insists that kind of clarity has to wait for age. My students proved otherwise. Not by answering the question, but by refusing to simplify it.
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