SINGAPORE - Rosyth School and Hwa Chong Institution emerged champions of this year's National Chinese Challenge, which saw a record number of participants.
In its eighth year, the competition attracted about 5,045 students from 172 schools, up 40 per cent from last year's participation.
The National Chinese Challenge is an annual event to promote the Chinese culture and cultivate an interest in learning Chinese among students. Participants can also showcase their language abilities and interact with other Chinese language learners.
The event is organised by Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) Chinese Media Group and Nanyang Girls' High School.
It is Hwa Chong Institution's first time clinching the top position in the secondary category, while Rosyth School's last win in the primary category was in 2016, said SPH in a statement on Saturday (April 17).
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Timothy Siauw from Hwa Chong Institution said: "We have been preparing for the competition on top of school examinations. It has been stressful but we have also learnt many fun facts and the beauty of the Chinese language while preparing. I realised there are many little stories behind the Chinese names of our MRT stations."
Maha Bodhi School and Radin Mas Primary School took the second and third place in the primary category, while Raffles Institution and Nanyang Girls' High School came in second and third in the secondary category.
Teams consisting of three students each were tested on their knowledge of the Chinese language. This includes translation of commonly used terms from English to Chinese, pronunciation, literature, current affairs and general knowledge.
To qualify, participants took an online test during the preliminary round. The three secondary schools and three primary schools with the highest average scores made it to the finals.
Ms Cheong Lin Li, editor of student publications in SPH Chinese Media Group, said: "We are glad that this competition has garnered great support from the students and their schools. Through the National Chinese Challenge, we were able to engage students in the Chinese language in a fun and entertaining way while showing its relevance in their daily lives."
