Literacy In Indonesia

Like any other country aiming for development and progress, Indonesia is a country that promotes education and literacy among its citizens. For many countries on the verge of developing economically, particularly third-world countries, education becomes an important factor for its citizens as it opens better chances for advancement. At a minimum, education gives people the ability to read and write that creates the skills to assist them in making a living, as well as giving them the skill to communicate to have a better advantage of life’s opportunities.

Literacy in Indonesia is footed on its national education that roots from its culture and based on Pancasila, as well as its 1945 Constitution. The government’s main aim is to enhance the intellectual life of the people, their values and dignity, as well as create an individual and community devoted and faithful to its beliefs. It also goals citizens to be self-sufficient and qualified, in order for them to develop themselves, their neighborhood, as well as to fulfill the needs and responsibilities of national development.

The importance of literacy in Indonesia is such that even in the midst of a current economic crisis, the government has dispersed aid for education through core programs such as scholarships for students coming from low-income families to avoid drop-outs; regardless of the school operational funds and higher learning organizations to ensure that every student continues their studies.

The government has also done several drastic measures in the name of “literacy” to lessen the impact of education recession, such as allocating specialized funds to assist the millions of poor students, schools, and teachers. School children have also been permitted to attend classes even without wearing uniforms, as formerly required. The efforts to preserve the national Nine-Year Compulsory Education scheme, has resulted to the government deciding to provide yearly scholarships worth Rp120,000 for every four-percent of its twenty-nine million primary school students, and Rp240,000 for the 16.1 percent of its 9.6 million junior-high-school students.

As of the year 2004, adult (15 years old and older) literacy in Indonesia accounts to 92% for male, 83% for female, and youth (15 to 25 years old) literacy rate of 99% for male, and 98% for female. This great attempt of the government to maintain good rate of literacy in Indonesia has become a challenging task for the country, but has also been seen as something very advantageous in the country’s future.