Public 'degrade' books, Minister Wardiman says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education Wardiman Djojonegoro has
\nlamented again the poor place that books and reading occupy in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"For many people, books are not something that they need. In
\nfact, people tend to degrade books,\" he said at an Association of
\nIndonesian Moslem Intellectuals gathering in Pekanbaru, Riau,
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
\"People see giving books as presents as something demeaning.
\nThe recipients and the givers both feel demeaned... sometimes,
\npeople refuse books,\" he said, reported Antara.<\/p>\n
This year, the government declared May as The Month of Books
\nand September as Love Reading Month.<\/p>\n
Wardiman said he believed one of the reasons why Indonesians
\ndon't read much is its deeply-rooted verbal culture. \"Our people
\nare more used to listening to tales and other forms of verbal
\nliterature,\" he said. \"Many think that they could understand
\nspoken words better than written ones.\"<\/p>\n
Other reasons that Wardiman blamed for the poor reading habits
\nwere people's perception that books are less advance than
\ntelevision, and the expensive price of books.<\/p>\n
Another is the limited number of libraries and books,
\nespecially in remote areas.<\/p>\n
\"The key to instill a love of reading is motivating people,
\nmaking them realize how important it is to read books if they
\nwish to improve themselves... this way, books would become a
\nneed,\" he said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-degrade-books-minister-wardiman-says-1447893297",
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