International meeting on education to be held here<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will host the second meeting of the
\nEducation for All Summit next week, which will be participated in
\nby nine most-populated developing countries.<\/p>\n
The five-day meeting, which will be participated in by China,
\nIndia, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan and
\nhost Indonesia will be opened by President Soeharto at the State
\nPalace on Sept. 14, the director general of non-formal
\neducation, youth and sports of the ministry of education and
\nculture, Soedijarto, told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the summit will take place in Nusa Dua, Bali. The
\nfirst summit took place in New Delhi, in December 1993, which was
\nattended by the Indonesian head of state.<\/p>\n
According to Soedijarto, next week's meeting will review the
\n1993 New Delhi Declaration, and exchange experiences of each
\nparticipating country.<\/p>\n
It will also discuss innovative and non-traditional approaches
\nto extend the access of education for all and to improve the
\nquality of basic education, he added.<\/p>\n
According to UNESCO's data of 1993, Indonesia is one of the
\nmost populated, developing countries with a high literacy rate
\n(77 percent) after Mexico and Brazil. Bangladesh and Pakistan are
\nthe lowest among them with 35 percent each.<\/p>\n
Soedijarto said Indonesia hoped that by 1998 there will be no
\nmore illiterate people here.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the government has started an ambitious
\nanti-illiteracy campaign for people between 10 and 44 years of
\nage. Soedijarto said the program was kicked off in Aceh in July.<\/p>\n
UNESCO has decided that Sept. 8 is International Literacy Day
\nand the international agency has asked its member countries,
\nspecifically the least-developed and developing ones, to
\ncommemorate it.<\/p>\n
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 17.3 million
\nIndonesians, or 12.75 percent of the population, were still
\nilliterate as of 1994, Soedijarto said.<\/p>\n
He said the present anti-illiteracy campaign is supported by
\nthe Armed Forces, especially in remote areas.<\/p>\n
Soedijarto expressed the hope that the military will motivate
\nand mobilize the people to take part in the program.<\/p>\n
\"I'm sure that even without the military, the campaign will be
\nsuccessful but we need them to boost participants' discipline,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said that in the early stages of the campaign the people
\nare reluctant to take part but after being encouraged by the
\nArmed Forces, who use friendly persuasion, local residents are be
\nmore active.<\/p>\n
About 4,050 members of the Armed Forces, who have been trained
\nas volunteer tutors, are taking part in the program, he said.<\/p>\n
They are working together with 33,000 tutors from the ministry
\nof education and culture.<\/p>\n
The program also caters to elementary school drop-outs,
\nvillagers, street children and the homeless, he said.<\/p>\n
\"None of Indonesian 27 provinces is free from illiteracy, not
\neven Jakarta,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that about 170,000 illiterate people are now living
\nin the capital city.<\/p>\n
Soedijarto said this year about one million people throughout
\nthe country will join the 150-hour study program of the six-month
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Each course has classes two hours long, three times a week,
\nfor six months, he said.<\/p>\n
He said the committee has made special a program for the
\nhomeless and street children, so that the campaign will not
\naffect their daily activities.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that by 1998 about 5.7 million people will be able to
\nread and write,\" Soedijarto said.<\/p>\n
After the campaign the participants will be provided with
\nbooks, particularly concerning their business activities, which
\nare available at nearby libraries, he said.<\/p>\n
The purpose is to check their reading habits. \"If they just
\ngive up reading after finishing the program, it will be useless,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
He said that the government has provided Rp 15 billion (US$
\n6.7 million) to finance the program.<\/p>\n
\"Non-governmental organizations who are interested in helping
\nthe government to make the campaign a success are welcomed,\" he
\nsaid.(05)<\/p>",
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