Books, brains, breaking news: 16 schools move to ST quiz semi-finals

Over 6,000 students from 50 schools put their current affairs knowledge to the test

- Stacey Ngiam

From global headlines on the tariff war to news about sports and popular culture, more than 6,000 students recently put their current affairs knowledge to the test.

A total of 16 schools, including Nanyang Girls' High School and Naval Base Secondary School, have made it to the semi-finals of the current affairs quiz competition organised by The Straits Times, after preliminary rounds kicked off in April.

What's The News? is an interschool interactive quiz competition organised by ST as part of its 180th anniversary outreach, and is supported by the Ministry of Education. The Central Narcotics Bureau is a partner.

Students aged 15 and above from local secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education were tested on their knowledge of news and current affairs.

The competition consists of an individual online quiz in the preliminary round, followed by arena-style team games in the semi-finals based on current affairs questions.

Four best-performing teams will then head to the final contest with a game show format, with a $4,000 cash prize for the team in first place. The final will be held at the NUS University Cultural Centre on May 23.

The schools that finish second, third and fourth will win $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.

Through this, ST aims to encourage young people to be more balanced consumers of the media through regular discourse on current affairs with friends and family, allowing them to step out of "echo chambers" present in the polarised media landscape, said the competition's organising team.

More than 6,000 students from 50 schools—across secondary and tertiary institutions—took part in the preliminary round.