Literacy reflects on culture: Try<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno said a nation's
\nsophistication is often judged by the number of books written,
\npublished and read, and in these respects Indonesia is still very
\nbackward.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Gadjah Mada University
\ncampus here yesterday to commemorate National Education Day, Try
\nsaid: \"The quantity and variety of the books written, translated,
\npublished, bought and read in our society is still inadequate.<\/p>\n
\"In this respect, we have to work harder,\" he said, adding
\nthat the inadequacy was even more pronounced when the number of
\nmagazines and newspapers produced was taken into account.<\/p>\n
Try took President Soeharto's place yesterday in leading the
\ncommemoration. Soeharto is suspending this week's state
\nactivities in respect of the death of First Lady Tien Suharto on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Also attending yesterday's ceremony were Minister of Education
\nand Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro, Minister of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications Joop Ave, and Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare Azwar Anas.<\/p>\n
National Education Day falls on the birth date of Ki Hajar
\nDewantara who founded the nationalistic Taman Siswa educational
\norganization in the 1920s.<\/p>\n
Libraries<\/p>\n
Try lamented the fact that private and state libraries are
\nstill rarely utilized and often a less-than-popular place to
\nvisit.<\/p>\n
\"We still don't fully use libraries as a means of enhancing
\nthe nation's wisdom,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
He said that this is one of the reasons why the government
\nholds a National Book Month, which is aimed at \"increasing the
\ngeneral public's consciousness and appreciation of the importance
\nof books.\"<\/p>\n
Try also marked yesterday's celebration by launching the 1996
\nNational Book Month, and donating 27,000 books for various less-
\ndeveloped villages across the country.<\/p>\n
On the significance of education, Try underlined the growing
\nlink between the scholastic and economic fields. He said that the
\nnation should aim for a situation where the knowledge and skill
\nacquired by everyone will allow them to create their own
\nvocations.<\/p>\n
Given the increasing international competition, knowledge and
\nskills have to be continuously honed and developed, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We have to develop our society into one which aspires to
\nscholarly pursuits and invention,\" Try said.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to boost the national education level, in 1994
\nthe government extended the compulsory basic education program
\nfrom six-years to nine-years.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta was chosen as the site of this year's National
\nEducation Day celebration because of, among other things, the
\nprovince's success in implementing the compulsory education
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
According to Try, parents throughout the country have
\nresponded positively to the program.<\/p>\n
\"This shows that our nation is ready to enter the 21st Century
\nwhich will be dominated by ever-increasing competition.\"<\/p>\n
He explained that in the coming era of free trade, labor will
\nalso become an important commodity which will transcend national
\nborders.<\/p>\n
He stressed that only the most qualified manpower will be able
\nto survive in such a competitive environment and thus the nation
\nmust hone its skills to anticipate this era.<\/p>\n
Unskilled laborers will in the end lose out even in their own
\ncountry, Try warned. (har\/02\/mds)<\/p>",
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