Illiteracy still a major problem in Indramayu

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu, West Java

A recent survey by the local education office in Indramayu, West Java, has found that the regency -- rich in rice and oil -- is still home to 70,787 illiterate residents between the ages of 10 and 44, an official said on Monday.

Khariri, the head of the office's community education subdivision, said the number was significant although it only represented a small proportion of the 1.6 million people aged between 10 and 44 among the regency's 2.3 million inhabitants.

He blamed poverty as the main reason for the problem. "Most of those who are illiterate could not afford to go to school because of financial difficulties," Khariri said on Monday.

He also blamed the problem on other factors, such as the uneven spread of schools and teachers.

In order to deal with the problem, the regency plans to run special courses for the illiterate.

"Every year we want to teach 16,000 illiterate people to read. We hope that within the next five years, we will overcome the problem," said Indramayu Regent Irianto MS Syafiuddin, adding that the program would kick off early next year.

Meanwhile, around 104,000 out of 260,000 elementary school students in Cirebon regency are forced to study in dilapidated schools.

According to the regency's own figures, 400 out of 925 elementary schools in its 31 districts are in poor shape.

"The buildings are in a very poor shape, no longer suitable to be used for teaching children," said Cirebon Regent Dedi Supardi, adding that most of the buildings had been built in the 1970s.

He said his administration lacked the money to build better schools, but promised to carry out emergency repairs to alleviate the situation.

"We have set aside Rp 17 billion (US$1.7 million) to repair the schools," Dedi said, adding that the repair work would allow the schools to continue to be used for teaching.

He said that the money for the repairs had been taken solely from the regency budget, with nothing be provided out of the state or provincial budget.

"Each school will get Rp 86 million," he explained, adding that the money would be provided to around 200 elementary schools during the stage of the plan.