Illiteracy rate is still high

The government should pay more attention to condition of women because, according to data disclosed recently by the director general of non-curriculum and sports of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Soedjiarto, 3.31 out of 5.72 million illiterate Indonesians are women.

The reason for this high percentage might have its roots in the sexual discrimination still faced by women here.

The government should also give more thought to the two youngest Indonesian provinces, Irian Jaya and East Timor, where the rates of illiteracy -- 16.58 percent and 26.10 percent respectively -- are the highest in the country.

It is undeniable that the literacy rate shows the degree of a nation's progress in its efforts to modernize itself.

Despite the important role of detailed information on illiteracy, Indonesia still has to work hard to obtain reliable data.

So far, the information collected is far from reliable. The director general of non-curricular and sports has called all agencies in the provinces to provide him with more accurate data on illiteracy. He said many provinces have sent falsified data on illiteracy in an apparent effort to cover up negative results.

The fact that some provinces still file misleading reports on the results of the literacy campaign in their areas will only confuse the government in its efforts to rectify the situation.

-- Suara Pembaruan