Almost 21 million illiterate: Government
Almost 21 million illiterate: Government
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro said yesterday 20.8 million Indonesians above the age
of 10 are illiterate.
Of that total, the government is focusing on 5.7 million
people between the ages of 10 and 44 in its literacy campaign, he
said in a press conference held in connection with International
Literacy Day on Sept. 8. Celebration of International Literacy
Day in Indonesia will be held in Bogor, West Java on Sept. 24.
During the celebration, President Soeharto will confer awards
to government officials who have made outstanding contributions
toward the eradication of illiteracy.
Wardiman said the goal of the campaign is to provide literacy
training for the 5.7 million people over the next three years.
According to Ministry of Social Services data, as of July
1996, there were about six million children aged between seven
and 15 who could not attend school for various reasons.
Director General of Extracurricular Activities and Sports
Soedijarto said this year, the government targeted one million
illiterate people and next year, the target will be doubled.
He said he is optimistic the target can be achieved with the
involvement of the Armed Forces (ABRI) and public participation.
The national literacy campaign was launched last year by the
Ministry of Education and Culture, ABRI, the Ministry of Home
Affairs, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, social organizations,
non-governmental organizations and students.
He said most illiterate people live in remote locations and
slum areas.
Besides, he said, many people become illiterate again because
they do not use their reading and writing abilities in their
daily lives.
The 1995 data revealed that most illiterate people, or 16.9
million, live in the villages. Out of this number, 11.4 million
are women, Soedijarto said.
Among the world's nine most populous countries, Indonesia
ranked the sixth in terms of the number of illiterate people in
1995. India topped the list, followed by China, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Nigeria. Indonesia's ranking was followed by
Brazil, Egypt and Mexico. (ste)