SPEECH BY MR CHAN SOO SEN, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF TRADE & INDUSTRY, AT THE PANASONIC KIDS WITNESS NEWS AWARD CEREMONY 2005 ON FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2005, AT 11.00AM, AT CAPITAL TOWER, STI AUDITORIUM

Ms Pam Hu
Programme Director for Community and International Relations, Media Development Authority (MDA)

1. Thank you for inviting me to this morning’s event, the Panasonic’s Kids Witness News (KWN) Award Ceremony 2005. Six types of awards, which recognise excellence in areas such as production, editing and content, are up for grabs today.

2. KWN was introduced in Singapore last year, with the objective of encouraging youth to explore their talents and creativity in producing a video clip in the form of a documentary, news report, drama or animation. In addition, the competition hopes to inspire in student participants, teamwork, self-confidence, as well as communication, technical and organisational skills.

3. Thus, I am encouraged to see that more secondary schools are showing interest in the competition. This year, 21 secondary schools with a total of 27 submissions have taken part. Based on the theme of culture, they have explored a diverse variety of topics ranging from the art of Chinese opera, the history and influence of Singlish in Singapore, to our reliance on modern technology in Singapore.

4. Besides having the opportunity to develop their interest in video production, Panasonic has arranged for the students to hone their skills under the guidance of experienced mentors from the broadcasting and filmmaking industry. Students’ works will also be critiqued by a panel of judges comprising seasoned industry practitioners, such as Mr Man Shu Sum, former Executive Advisor of MediaCorp Studios, who is currently Programme Director (Media Development) in MDA. Working with and learning from these industry experts will surely be an invaluable learning experience for the students.

5. Through the process of working on their video clips, students will also be able to enhance their level of media literacy. I say this because students can get behind-the-scene insights on how news is put together. This will enable students to gain greater awareness of the challenges faced in obtaining accurate information in today’s environment where we increasingly experience an onslaught of information from a growing number of media channels. Hopefully, our students will learn to be discerning consumers of information from having been involved as producers of the information or news.

6. Clearly then, there are a number of benefits to students’ learning that can be obtained when schools take part in such IT-related games or competitions. Firstly, teachers get the opportunity to use new technology products, as they guide their charges. If they are able to incorporate these new skills into their stable of teaching tools, they can make learning more engaging and authentic for their students. This is crucial as we move away from traditional ‘chalk-and-talk’ teaching methods, towards more interactive and advanced teaching methods.

7. Secondly, students can be involved in the design and creation of a new innovative product or process specifically designed for education. Imagine the satisfaction one feels when their concept or idea finally comes to fruition.

8. Thirdly, through workshops or through direct interaction with industry professionals, students have the chance for personal development. They can get invaluable insights into the workings of the ‘real world’, build up their interpersonal skill sets and learn how to better work with others and pick up technical capabilities that can help them both at school and when they enter the workforce.

9. If last year’s winning entries were anything to go by, I am confident that this year’s winning entries can look forward to considerable exposure. Shortlisted schools can see how they fare against other schools from the region, and even internationally. For instance, last year’s winner of the national and regional competitions, Canberra Secondary, went on to have its video clip seen by some 20 million visitors when it was screened at the Aichi World Exposition in Naga-kuta, Japan.

10. I believe that this year’s participants have put in considerable effort in producing their video clips this year. Whichever school is selected to go on to represent Singapore at the regional competition, and perhaps even at the international competition next year, I am confident that our students will do their best and do us proud. I would like to congratulate and commend all of you for taking part and for your hard work.

11. Lastly, I would like to thank the organisers, Panasonic Singapore, for organising the KWN competition, as well as MDA, for lending their support to the programme.