Schools abandon literature: Poet

JAKARTA (JP): Renowned poet W.S. Rendra and Bahasa Indonesia expert J.S. Badudu expressed on Monday their concern for the low interest in literature subjects in schools across the country.

Badudu said that there were not enough qualified teachers to teach the subject and that they did not read enough books on literature.

"How can we expect that literature will improve while teachers who teach the class don't even like the subject," Badudu told participants of a seminar on Bahasa Indonesia in Bogor.

Rendra, who also spoke at the seminar, echoed Badudu's opinion saying that the teaching of the subject had been deteriorating over time.

Rendra said that learning literature was meant to free oneself or others' by reviving conscience.

"Learning literature is also very important to master people, just like learning drama, if you learn it you can use it to know other people's characters," Rendra said.(21/jaw)