37.5 million still illiterate

37.5 million still illiterate

BAUBAU, North Sulawesi: Around 37.5 million people in the
country remain illiterate due to poverty and high education fees,
Minister of National Education Malik Fajar said on Thursday.

The minister's statement was read by North Sulawesi governor
La Ode Kaimoeddin in the celebration of International Literacy
Day that the national movement to eradicate illiteracy would be
among the priority programs as it is related to poverty.

Malik urged people to take part in the program by donating
money to the poor so they could pay for public education fees.

Meanwhile, head of the North Sulawesi Education Office Rahimin
Katjong said that the province had opened non-formal education
programs equivalent to elementary and junior high schools, short
courses for trade apprenticeships and entrepreneurship. However,
only 5,496 of some 54,000 illiterate people were admitted to the
programs this year, he said. --Antara