Parliament Prize 2026 winners announced
10 August 2026
Watch the winning entries
The winning entries for the 2026 Parliament Prize have been announced today on parliament’s social media channels.
Ten students from across the state have been awarded top honours in this year’s competition, including students from Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Catholic Ladies’ College and Suzanne Cory High School, who recorded their 90-second response to the question, ‘What would you say to parliament if you were an MP?’
Noah Farid from Stella Maris Catholic Primary School was awarded first place in the Grades 5 and 6 category for his entry on introducing minimum age limits for e-bikes.
Kashvi Soni from Catholic Ladies’ College won the Years 7 to 9 category with her reflections on why young Victorians are at risk of loneliness, and Anna Mathew from Suzanne Cory High School took out the top prize in the Years 10 to 12 category with a call for Auslan to be taught in every classroom.
The Alicia Katz award (named after the first woman to run for the Parliament of Victoria) was won this year by Karoo Primary School and Elisabeth Murdoch College. This award recognises schools that have made an inspiring contribution to the Parliament Prize through their strong commitment to a diverse range of issues.
All up the Parliament Prize attracted 1180 entries from over 180 schools across the state. Students addressed topics, ranging from the voting age to using artificial intelligence, four-day school weeks, the social media ban and protection of animal rights. The most popular themes for this year’s entries were around health, mental health and wellbeing (221 entries), followed by education (194) and entries relating to environmental issues (167).
The judging panel included three members of parliament, Emma Vulin, Anasina Gray-Barberio and David Hodgett, as well as members of parliament’s education advisory panel and parliament staff.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning entries and each winning student’s school will receive a civics and citizenship resource pack, to be used to support civics and citizenship and law-related education.
THE RESULTS
Watch the winning entries.
Grades 5 and 6
1st place: Noah Farid
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Point Cook
‘Victoria should introduce a minimum age of 16 to ride an e-bike’
2nd place: Rory Donahoo
Antonio Park Primary School
‘Why all Aussie kids should have the opportunity to learn music’
3rd place: Mark Halden
St Patrick's Primary, Mentone
‘First aid in schools ‘
4th place: Chung Han Gao
Birralee Primary School
‘AI education for children’
Years 7 to 9
1st place: Kashvi Soni
Catholic Ladies' College
‘Victoria is at risk of youth loneliness’
2nd place: Stefan Mingaars
St Bernard's College, Essendon
‘The national youth e-bike crisis’
3rd place: Jess Thompson
Peninsula Grammar
‘The cost of being a woman in modern medicine’
Years 10 to 12
1st place: Anna Mathew
Suzanne Cory High School
‘Sign of the times: Why Auslan belongs in every classroom’
2nd place: Elizabeth Tun
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School
‘The cost of neglecting the humanities’
3rd place: Ksenia Kurenysheva
John Monash Science School
‘The hidden gender gap in first aid training’
The Alicia Katz Award
Karoo Primary School, Rowville
Elisabeth Murdoch College, Langwarrin