Youth forum gives students a new perspective

Secondary school students gained a better understanding of humanities and social sciences by taking part in a youth symposium.

The third Humanities Research Symposium, organised by Diocesan Girls' School (DGS), was held at the University of Hong Kong from July 3 to July 9. A total of 66 students from three secondary schools - Hwa Chong Institution from Singapore, Citipointe Christian College from Brisbane, Australia and DGS - joined the symposium.

Under the theme 'Change and Constancy', the presenters explored history, geography, literature, economics and social studies.

Andrew Wong Weng Seng, a Form Four student at Hwa Chong Institution, said he learned about the economic crisis and how the government responded. 'It helped me look at the situation Singapore faces from an entirely new perspective,' he said.

Callan Alexander from Citipointe Christian College, 15, said: 'The event taught me [a lot about change].'

DGS student Priscilla Yeung Ming-yi, who went on a boat trip to Geopark, said: 'We had a chance to touch the rocks. The experience was very different from what we see in textbooks.