Rules and regulations

RULES AND REGULATIONS 

The Mini Essay Contest, organised by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), together with appointed vendor, CreativesAtWork Pte Ltd (henceforth referred to as the “Organiser”), is targeted at all students aged between 12 and 16. 

Participants are invited to write an essay in response to any one of the two 1st-placed videos of the DrugFreeSG Video Competition 2023 under the “Youths” and “Young Adults” categories. 

All participants of the Mini Essay Contest are required to adhere to this set of rules and regulations stipulated by CNB and the Organiser to be eligible for participation in the contest.

1. ELIGIBILITY

• This contest is open to all students aged between 12 and 16 years old (as of the closing date of submission of entries). 
• Participants must be Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents or foreigners residing in Singapore on a valid Singapore Immigration Pass (e.g., Student’s Pass, Dependant’s Pass) during the period of the contest. 
• The Top 3 (i.e., 1st, 2nd, and 3rd) winners of this year’s DrugFreeSG Video Competition under the “Youths” and “Young Adults” categories are not eligible to take part in this contest.

2. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Some pointers for consideration – the essay may include:

1. 1. 1. student’s reflection on the winning entry;
      2. student’s interpretation of the winning entry; or
      3. student’s imagined extension of the winning entry.

• All essays submitted should be within the word count range of 300 – 500 words. Please include the word count at the end of the essay. 
• Essays should only be submitted in the Word Doc file format.
• Entries are to be submitted by a teacher-in-charge on behalf of the school via the contest microsite at www.drugfree.sg/mini-essay-contest. 
• Teachers are required to provide their registered staff email (e.g., xxx@moe.edu.sg) for the Organiser to correspond with regarding the contest. 
• Only 5 essays are to be submitted per school. 
• Teachers from the same school are highly encouraged to co-ordinate with one another and submit only the best 5 essays from their school. 
• If there are more than 5 submissions from the same school, the Organiser will seek to confirm with the teachers (of the same school) the school’s final submissions. Should the teachers fail to respond to the Organiser within 2 working days, the Organiser will accept the first 5 submissions received to minimise delay of the judging process.

3. JUDGING CRITERIA 

• Essay entries will be judged by a panel of CNB officials. The decision of the panel is FINAL, and no correspondences, enquiries or appeals will be entertained. 
• The judging criteria and score allocation are as follows:

¹ This criterion will determine if the essay offers thoughtful interpretations/analysis of the video.
² This criterion will determine if the essay leaves a powerful and lasting impact on the reader.
³ This criterion will determine if the essay captivates and sustains the reader’s interest throughout.

• CNB reserves the right to publicise, and/or broadcast the winners’ names, likeness, images, or characters at any time the Bureau deems appropriate. 
• CNB reserves the right to change, amend or withdraw any of the rules and regulations stipulated without prior notice. 
• CNB reserves the right not to award any of the prizes should the essay, as assessed by the judging panel, fail to meet the required standards.

4. CONTEST TIMELINE 

• The closing date for all submissions is 6 October 2023 (Friday), Singapore Time 23:59 hours. 
• Results of the contest will be finalised by 20 October 2023 (Friday). 
• The Organiser will notify the teacher-in-charge of the winning essays within 3 working days after the results have been finalised via the email address provided.

5. PRIZES 

• The prizes for the respective categories are as follows: 

• Prizes must be accepted as awarded. The prizes are neither refundable nor transferable. 
• CNB reserves the right to change the prizes, but the value will remain.

6. PRIZE COLLECTION

• The Organiser will notify the teacher-in-charge via email to facilitate prize collection. 
• The teacher-in-charge is required to respond to the Organiser within 5 working days from the date of the email notification for prize collection arrangement. 
• CNB and the Organiser reserve the right to forfeit the prizes if the teacher-in-charge does not respond to the Organiser within 10 working days of receiving the email notification.