Illiteracy in South Sumatra

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Official figures show that 11 percent, or 307,500, of women above 10 years of age in South Sumatra are illiterate.

The number of illiterate men in South Sumatra is 127,300, or 4.7 percent of the male population above 10 years of age.

Joausairi Hasbullah, chief of the local social and population affairs' office, said the illiteracy rate in South Sumatra had fallen slightly since 1993.

He said 11.5 percent of women and 4.5 percent of men in the province were illiterate in 1993, Antara reported.

Hasbullah said that 449,000 people in the province aged above five years were unable to use the Indonesian language. They live mostly in the regencies of Ogan Komering Ulu, Ogan Komering Ilir, Muara Enim, Lahat, Musi Rawas, Musi Banyasin and Palembang. (pan)