What’s The News? assembly programme heads to Swiss Cottage Secondary School

SINGAPORE – While other students in school read the news to stay informed, 15-year-old Rueven Chia follows current affairs to guide his investment choices.

The Swiss Cottage Secondary 3 student gets his daily dose of current affairs through social media, using what he learns to choose which stocks to buy through his father’s brokerage account.

Although he is wary about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, Rueven is not overly concerned about the dangers, such as people being replaced by AI.

“I think there is quite a bit of distinction between AI-generated texts and those written by a human,” he said. “I still don’t think we need to be fearful of AI. It is best if we can incorporate both of these elements together.”

Rueven was one of nearly 1,000 Swiss Cottage students who attended the What’s The News? (WTN) assembly programme on July 9.

WTN, launched in 2025 as part of The Straits Times’ 180th anniversary celebrations, is an interactive current affairs initiative that encourages young people to stay informed about issues shaping Singapore and the world.

Besides a current affairs competition for students, the initiative also includes assembly programmes in selected schools and a travelling showcase.

The assembly programmes, which focus on current affairs and media literacy, will be held at six schools. The event at Swiss Cottage Secondary School was the second stop, after East Spring Secondary School.

Swiss Cottage student Lee Kong Ray, 16, said the assembly was enjoyable and engaging.

The Secondary 4 student turns to Mothership, ST and Instagram account leoexplains10 – which features explainers on global politics and international affairs – for his daily dose of news.

He said: “News shapes my personal thinking, allowing me to evaluate from different perspectives.”

During the one-hour programme, host Rishi Budhrani engaged students through lively quizzes and audience participation that challenged them to think critically about the news they consume. Students who answered the questions received prizes – a water bottle or a bag.

Approximately 1,000 Swiss Cottage students who attended the What’s The News? assembly programme at Swiss Cottage Secondary School on July 9. — Approximately 1,000 Swiss Cottage students attended the What’s The News? assembly programme at Swiss Cottage Secondary School on July 9.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Also at the event was ST assistant Life editor Clara Lock, who shared with the students what sparked her interest in journalism.

Lock, who joined ST in 2018 as a travel correspondent, said: “I got the chance to combine my love of reading, writing and seeing the world in one amazing job opportunity. Who would say ‘no’ to that?”

She added: “Singapore has the world’s strongest passport, and we want to help people make better and smarter travel choices.”

The WTN competition is open to students aged 15 to 19 from local secondary schools or their equivalent, pre-university institutions, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education.

This year’s competition drew more than 6,000 students from over 70 schools. St Gabriel’s Secondary School emerged champion in the finals on May 26, ahead of Victoria School, the School of Science and Technology and Presbyterian High School.

The competition was organised by ST, supported by the Ministry of Education and held in partnership with the Central Narcotics Bureau.

Complementing the competition and school assemblies is a travelling showcase titled “Is AI changing the way you think?”, which is touring schools and public spaces from May to September.

The interactive exhibition explores how AI is reshaping the way people discover and consume information online. It will be held at Jurong Regional Library from Sept 4 to 15.

Swiss Cottage Secondary School principal Mandy Cheng Mun Yi said: “Showcases like this strengthen what we are already doing in schools on digital and media literacy. They give our students up-to-date, interactive and real-world context, which helps them develop the instinct to pause, question and think before they share or act on information they read or see.”