Singapore Sponsors Inter-School Blogging Championship

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It’s interesting enough to note that Singapore’s Ministry of Education is sponsoring a national, inter-school blogging championship aimed at junior school and secondary students. It’s fairly new to see a governmental education body supporting something like blogging, to this extent.

However, what I am really impressed by are the guidelines, or actually the lack thereof, set down for this contest. “No strict no-no’s” guide the students’ writing or use of the tool, and while this may appear risky, I would also label it innovative.

“We are pushing new grounds with this platform and there will be a certain amount of risk. However, we want the children to learn that there has to be a balance between self-expression and responsibility.”

Well said.

4 thoughts on “Singapore Sponsors Inter-School Blogging Championship”

  1. Good day, mate.

    I’m surprised this news has not reached my ears, although I am a local citizen at the country you mentioned.

    I must redirect you to incident that sparked the whole blogging craze that got the government to start a publicity campaign to start “teaching” students how to blog.

    http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2005/05/05/astar_confirms_warning_to_studen.html (The incident)
    http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~chen6/blog/ (The blogger)
    http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2005/05/06/acidflask_replies_to_cna_report.html (The blogger’s reply)

    I’m sure you must have heard about this incident long time ago. Anyways, I’m just as perplexed as you are regarding this news.

  2. Hi TheoreticallyPractical, being a SG Blogger myself, I don’t see how the A*STAR/ AcidFlask incident relates to the Interschool Blogging contest. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure the Interschool Competition was planned way ahead of the incident before the A*STAR. Unless the civil service has changed drastically and can really turn on a dime in such resolute manner :)

    The MOE division supporting the blog competition should be congratulated for taking an enlightened and long-term view in setting the guidelines for the contest. Obviously, they recognise that teens are not naive and if they impose rules, it’ll just be another “school assignment”. I think it bodes well for Singapore.

    NOTE: I’m a statboard employee, but my position is as a SG Blogger. I’m not MOE staff.

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