11 polytechnic and ITE lecturers appointed Straits Times News Literacy Champions for 2026

SINGAPORE – From in-class debates about national service to discussions about American pop star Taylor Swift’s exclusive stop in Singapore, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) lecturer James Chan found himself better able to engage students in his National Education module using news articles in 2025.

Mr Chan, a senior lecturer at NYP’s Centre for Innovation and Life Skills, said: “Using suitable and relevant content in our classrooms allows us to make our students more interested.”

He was one of 14 lecturers from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics who took part in The Straits Times News Literacy Champion programme in 2025.

He and other lecturers shared with peers about how they integrated current affairs in their lessons at an event kicking off the 2026 edition of the programme.

The free year-long programme aims to support and develop polytechnic and ITE lecturers across various faculties so they can better infuse current affairs and build news literacy in their classrooms.

Held at SPH Media News Centre in Toa Payoh North on Jan 29, the event also officially appointed 11 lecturers from the ITE and polytechnics who will be joining the 2026 edition of the programme.

As part of the programme, lecturers receive curated resource packages tailored to their modules on topics as wide-ranging as food security, workplace trends and feature writing to support them in their curriculum.

Participating lecturers are also invited to attend a professional development workshop in June, and receive free ST subscriptions to be able to better integrate the news into their daily teaching.

The 2025 batch of lecturers said the programme assisted them in their teaching.

Ms Zhang Yu, a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic’s Centre for TransCultural Studies, said: “Students... strengthened their critical thinking and global awareness. For tutors, it also made classroom discussions more authentic and relevant to real-world issues.”

She said a highlight of the programme was a fireside chat for her students with an ST environment reporter.

“Students could ask questions directly about climate reporting. It made learning real, and inspired them to equip themselves and contribute positively to the community,” she added.

Ms Charlotte Char, a lecturer at Republic Polytechnic’s Centre for Foundational Studies and an incoming ambassador for the programme, felt the curated resources would support her teaching and benefit her students.

She added: “The curated resources will save time for me in lesson planning, and ensure quality and relevant content in my lessons.”

Three lecturers from the previous cohort rejoined the programme for a second year.

Ms Foo Yueh Peng, a lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film and Media Studies, said the programme afforded her students valuable opportunities, including a chance for students’ works to be published on ST TL;DR’s social media.

Ms Foo added: “Rejoining the ST News Literacy Champion Programme allows us to continue providing authentic, real-world learning experiences in training our students to become multi-platform media professionals.”

Ms Debra Ann Francisco, news-in-education specialist of the ST Schools team, said: “Together, we have seen how a structured, supportive approach empowers lecturers to bring Straits Times resources into their classrooms and build a strong community of practice.

“The stronger partnerships and positive student engagement show the value of ongoing collaboration between educators and our newsroom.”