On National Book Day, Lestari Encourages the Development of a Literacy Ecosystem
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI, Lestari Moerdijat, on National Book Day, which is commemorated every 17 May, encourages the development of a literacy ecosystem in Indonesia to support national progress.
“Literacy is the foundation for national progress. A society with good literacy skills is one indicator that a nation has an advanced civilisation,” she said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
According to Lestari, the current state of literacy in Indonesia still needs improvement.
She explained that based on a survey by the National Library processed by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the index of public reading interest decreased from 72.44 in 2024 to 54.80 in 2025.
Meanwhile, the World Population Review 2025 reported that the average Indonesian reads books for 129 hours per year, while India reads for 352 hours per year and the United States for 357 hours per year.
On the other hand, based on the results of the 2025 Academic Ability Test by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, students’ inferential abilities were recorded at 43.21 percent and their ability to evaluate and appreciate texts was 45.32 percent.
“This is a real threat to national competitiveness. The current literacy challenge is significant because we not only have to create a society that can read, but also one that can think critically,” said Lestari.
Despite this, the member of Commission X of the DPR RI believes that young Indonesians have an interest in reading that should be maximised. Therefore, concrete steps need to be taken.
The legislator in the field of education said that building a literacy ecosystem can start by encouraging digital and physical-based reading communities. This step, she said, is to create a vibrant literacy culture.
In addition, she suggested that schools and universities change assignments into critical thinking activities, rather than just reading. Easy access to reading through complete libraries also needs to be ensured.
She also encourages the elimination of book taxes and price reductions for paper to create affordable book prices.
Lestari hopes that strong collaboration between the central government, regional governments, and the community can make literacy a measurable national movement.