{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1772133,
        "msgid": "bonjour-in-a-nation-still-struggling-to-read-1780079701",
        "date": "2026-05-29 14:15:00",
        "title": "Bonjour in a Nation Still Struggling to Read",
        "author": "Ferril Dennys",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "Indonesia's push to introduce French across all school levels has drawn attention, yet the nation's literacy rates remain critically low according to OECD PISA data. The article argues that focusing on foreign languages before strengthening basic reading skills in Bahasa Indonesia is misplaced, likening it to installing European-style windows on a crumbling foundation. This highlights the urgent need to address fundamental educational gaps before pursuing global linguistic ambitions.",
        "content": "<p>Standing before French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral\nmeeting, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto confidently stated: \u2018I\nhave now instructed that all levels of Indonesian schools must learn\nFrench, in light of future global developments.\u2019 The statement sounded\ngrand, diplomatic, and modern, as if Indonesia were advancing towards a\nmore elite and cosmopolitan global engagement. Yet, a question lingers:\nare we gazing too far at Paris while classrooms at home still struggle\nto sound out letters one by one? Indonesia\u2019s education challenges extend\nbeyond a lack of foreign languages. The core issue is more fundamental:\nthe population\u2019s reading, comprehension, and reasoning abilities remain\nlagging. OECD data from the Programme for International Student\nAssessment (PISA) shows Indonesian students\u2019 reading literacy remains\namong the world\u2019s lowest. In every PISA cycle, Indonesia\u2019s reading\nscores have consistently fallen below the OECD average. Out of 81\nparticipating countries and economies, Indonesia scored 359 in reading,\n366 in maths, and 383 in science\u2014still below the global average. The\nirony is bitter: while the country seeks to expand its global horizons\nthrough French, millions of children still struggle to comprehend\nreading materials in their own language. We are like a house aiming for\nEuropean-style windows while its foundations are cracked. Foreign\nlanguages are undoubtedly important. There is nothing wrong with\nlearning French, English, Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, or any other\nlanguage. The world is moving towards global connectivity. Yet education\nfollows a logical sequence: children who cannot read fluently in their\nmother tongue will struggle to leap into global languages. \u2018Bonjour\u2019 is\nused as the most recognised French greeting, immediately evoking\nassociations with France, modernity, diplomacy, and the international\nworld. It is not merely used as a greeting but as a symbol or metaphor\nfor Indonesia\u2019s global educational ambitions\u2014the desire to appear\nprogressive, cosmopolitan, and connected to the outside world through\nforeign languages.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bonjour-in-a-nation-still-struggling-to-read-1780079701",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}