Illiteracy rate is still high

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